Today’s post brings my next Pandora review, but with a slight twist – today I’m reviewing some special engraved Pandora pieces, specially made for me by authorised UK Pandora stockist John Greed. :D
John Greed have produced over 250,000 engraved items and were the first official engravers of Pandora jewellery in the UK. They’ve been perfecting the process for years now, and so, when they asked me if I was interested in reviewing their Pandora engraving, I leapt at the chance.
Engraving and script on Pandora pieces often look beautiful, but the message that Pandora opts for is not always the one that resonates with me. Being able to create my own pieces of jewellery lent some exciting opportunities, and I’m really pleased with the results. Read on to find out what I chose, and a bit more about the process! :)
My engraved Pandora pieces
My first choice was the silver heart bangle, with the words Choose Happiness. I wanted a piece of jewellery that was a message from me to me, a little reminder of the things that are important in life. I am an anxious person, and find that my thoughts can just run away with me, and the molehill becomes a mountain in two seconds flat. ? This is a firm but gentle reminder of what the endgame is, and why I should be doing the things that I do.
Given the importance of the message, I was so pleased to find that the finish was what I’d hoped it would be. The lettering is deep and defined, and provides a lovely contrast against the polished silver.
I thought it interesting to hear how the laser engraving is done, and how they get the finish so immaculate. Once an order is submitted, computer technology formats the font & styling so that it best fits the desired piece of jewellery, and determines the alignment of lasers accordingly. When everything is in place, the laser then fires at the surface of the jewellery, which vaporises the metal. Extractors remove most of the resulting gas but some solidifies and lands back on the jewellery. This is polished up to remove the excess. I’d love to see this in action, and did ask if they had any imagery of this being done… but apparently the process is top secret!
My next choice puts a bit of a twist on a very popular Pandora engraved item – the Snowflake Heart. This comes by default with the engraving You keep me warm. This is nice, but I wanted to add another little touch that highlighted how special a motif the snowflake is for me.
Years ago, not long after we first got together in January, my boyfriend took me into town and bought me my first Pandora bracelet to put away for Valentine’s Day the next month. I have such lovely memories of walking back together from town along the canal path, as the snow fell around us.
Consequently, I put our anniversary date on the back of it. By turning it into a charm that celebrates our anniversary, my extra little piece of engraving makes Pandora’s message work better for me, too, taking the generic and making it specific. The engraving is crisp, and completely matches the standard of Pandora’s stock message on the front of the heart. It’s a beautiful commemoration!
However, the absolute icing on the cake was this. I had requested that John Greed put Mora Pandora on a heart bead in their ‘romantic’ font, reasoning that that was the closest way of representing my blog and its amazing community. When I opened the package, however, I was absolutely astounded and utterly thrilled to find that they had surprised me by putting the actual proper logo on the bead!
The engraving is perfect, and the bead looks wonderful. The logo is so clear and beautifully defined. This is instantly one of my favourite beads in my collection, and something that I’ll always treasure. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me!
Engraving options and details
You can engrave pretty much any charm, bracelet or other jewellery item with a nice smooth surface: bangles, heart charms, pendants. One fun option was to engrave either the Devoted Dog or Curious Cat with your pet’s name. I was tempted to put Ruby on for my own spaniel, but I already have too many dog charms! ? (She is the most beautiful golden Cocker Spaniel in the world – but also the dimmest – after almost five years, she still doesn’t know the word for ‘walkies’…)
What I love about the concept is the range of different things you can do with engraving, and the variety of fonts (shown below) is a good reflection of that. The majority of people opt for engraving to send a sentimental or romantic message (yes, JG have engraved marriage proposals before!), or to commemorate an anniversary or special date, but it goes beyond that, too. You also have the opportunity to create your own style of jewellery, something that is really reflective of you.
In creating my engraved pieces, I’ve tried to demonstrate this. A charm to celebrate my blog, a bracelet to inspire myself, and a romantic pendant to commemorate my anniversary. ?
You can currently only get the bangle engraved with capital letters (shown below), but if they offered lower and upper case letters in the future, it would be great to use the higher word count to be able to use longer quotes such a little snippets of poetry or a Disney quote to go with your Disney charms.
I studied English literature at uni, and two of my favourite poems were “Remembrance” by Emily Bronte and “On Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold. Pandora would never put anything with as much elegant melancholy (or pretension ?) as “fifteen wild Decembers” or “a darkling plain” on a bangle, but I would, haha.
Having said that, you can leave special instructions or a little note with a particular request and they’ll try their best to make it happen (as they have proven with my Mora Pandora charm!).
Styling
I decided to add a single pendant to the bangle, as the bail is thin enough that it won’t obscure the lovely message. The Queen Bee I feel works well with the wording on a number of levels, reminding me of empowerment and hard work and summer days. Also, how cute and happy-making bees are. Especially in charm form.
My styling for the Snowflake Heart pairs white and gold, which always makes for such a pretty combination. I love white enamel and two-tone together!
My Mora Pandora charm I am head over heels for, and I knew that I wanted to style it on its own, so that it didn’t get lost in a fuller bracelet design. I was still looking for a styling for the Lock your Promise bracelet, which I received on Valentine’s Day, and it struck me as perfect!
I got the Braided Heart clips recently in the Pandora UK sale, and I have put these either side of the heart clasp with silicone inserts to stop them moving. This just means that the heart charm will definitely stay put when the bracelet is opened. And it looks nice! Incidentally, you can get the back of this bracelet engraved, as well.
Cost and shipping times
The majority of engraved orders are ready and sent out the day after ordering. John Greed are an official Pandora UK stockist, so they’re unable to ship internationally – but you could use a mail forwarding service, or enlist the help of a friend in the UK.
Pricing starts from £9.95. Examples and character counts are as follows:-
- PANDORA Silver Love Heart Charm 20 characters front £9.95 + 20 characters back (£16.95)
- PANDORA Silver Icon Dangle Charm 30 characters front £0.00
- PANDORA Moments Silver Charm Bangle 100 characters £14.95
- PANDORA Lock Your Promise Moments Silver Bracelet 30 characters £9.95
- PANDORA Forever Friends Pendant Charm 18 characters on the bale £9.95, pendant 20 characters £9.95, both £19.90
Conclusion
All in all, these engraved pieces have been some of my most exciting new Pandora additions in a long while, even considering how much I love the new Spring collection. The finish on them is perfect, and I love that each has a special meaning for me.
Going forward, I’m going to continue to keep an eye out for future ideas, as John Greed are looking into the possibility of engraving photographs, and introducing new fonts and styles. Considering the success they had in creating my unique and amazing Mora Pandora charm, it’ll be fun to see what they do next!
You can take a look at the engraving options at John Greed here!
Do you have any engraved Pandora pieces? What would you be tempted to get?
Such beautiful charms! Our wedding anniversary is the 16th of January so could use that one too :-) I knew they offered engraving but as they cannot ship to Belgium I stopped looking (and drooling). It does look amazing and very detailed. Thank you for the review.
I can help you get anything you want from the UK Helen… xx
Hi that’s nice would you be so kind to possible ship to the US
Thanks very much Helen! ? I hope you find a way to get some engraving done. I’m so pleased with mine! :)
I love how each of your engraved charms and bracelet has a meaningful and beautiful story behind. You deserve the suprise and its really sweet of John Greed to do that for you. ?
That’s so lovely of you to say, thank you! :) The Mora Pandora charm was an amazing surprise, it was so nice of them! ?
Got one of their engraved bangles to house something incredibly important a few months ago and I am IN LOVE with it.
I’m really pleased to hear that! :D
I love it!!! Yes I also stopped looking, cause I live in Germany!
?
But I’ll find a way to get it!!!!! ?
I help overseas ladies with UK items, happy to help if you need me :)
Would you be willing to help me? I live in the US in Texas …
Ashley would you be will to ship to Minnesota in the US and what would the process be?
Wow!! Thank you!
Can I get your contact?
My I contact you too? Thanks!
Yay, I hope you do! ☺️
How awsome! I´d like to have a charm with my name on it :) I knew about John Greed´s personal engravings but I had never really considered it for myself. Next time I´m in England I might pay a visit to them ;)
Such a good reason to visit England ?
Indeed! ?
Haha, sounds like a plan Marie! :) I can’t tell you how cool it was to open the package and see my little Mora Pandora charm in it.
Hi Ellie,
Wow! Your engraved bracelet & charms are fabulous! JG has done an amazing job with the engraving, love that the letters are so sharply defined. What beautiful messages you have chosen. I bet they will look even lovelier over time. Your poetic messages are a great idea.
I have several Pandora message bangles but I can’t see the words that clearly, forget they are on the bracelet and end up covering the words with charms! I have a 25th wedding anniversary, it’s a biggie, coming up and we have decided to go to NYC, how I would love to have a bracelet charm combo to celebrate. Hope the laser process is done by jewellers on this end of the pond.
Your stylings hit the mark, I agree the white enamel with the two tone charms are Very complimentary.
Ellie, thanks again for the review, I love your blog and the community you have created. One question, do you have to buy the pieces from them or can you take your pieces to one of their locations to be engraved?
Cheers!
Lisa K
Hi Lisa!
I think the white enamel charms are cool with just about any charm. I currently have a Rose bracelet with the white orchids. I wear the white enamel in the summer a lot, because it feels breezy in the Arizona heat. Happy Anniversay in advance! Hope you have a great trip to the Big Apple. My husband and I celebrated our 25th last year. I’m still amazed that he has put up with me this long! ?
Happy 25th Anniversary Lisa!
Enjoy your trip to NYC. I may go there one day with my OH.
Hi Lisa! Thanks so much, I’m so glad you like both the pieces and the way I’m wearing them. I had such fun thinking of how to style them. I usually end up covering or simply ignoring engraved messages on my bangles, but I certainly won’t on this one haha. Hmm, that’s a good question about the engraving. Online you have to buy the piece as well, but I don’t know whether they’d be able to engrave an existing piece of jewellery in store. I’ll try and remember to ask! :)
Hope you have an amazing time celebrating your anniversary – and thanks for the lovely comment!
I had a charm engraved when John Greed had a “free engraving” offer. My niece was going to Australia for a year and I got her a personalised heart charm with the date etc on one side and Bon Voyage on the other. I left it a bit late to order but John Greed came good! The engraving was perfect and my niece loved her gift -and her time in Australia ?
I highly recommend John Greed!
That is such a great idea and sweet gift.
Indeed?
That’s such an amazing present! A lovely way for her to remember her trip.
Ellie, I love the Mora Pandora heart charm! That is so cool. I’m glad JG used the right font. What a bead to treasure.
I think the engraving service is fantastic. It’s so neat to be able to customize pieces. Being able to put names, dates, or short phrases on jewelry items allows one to create very special, meaningful beads or bracelets (back to the original concept of the Moments line).
Thanks so much! I can’t tell you how excited I was to see it. I’ve wanted something like that for years, amazing that I finally have found it :)
Well that MoraPandora charm brought a tear to my eyes so I can only imagine how you must have felt on seeing it :-D. I’ve had many things from John Greed, not just Pandora, and they’ve always been very good and helpful. They seem a bit more personal than other retailers :-).
Aha, thank you :) My OH should have filmed me opening it! I was so over excited when I realised it was the actual logo font – ‘Is that- no- it is!!’ ? Glad to hear you’ve had a good experience with them too!
Greetings Ms. Ellie, those bracelets looks really, really pretty. Is there any chance that the bracelets would come to the U.S. ? Thank you and stay in the Faith.
John Greed are a UK retailer, so no, they won’t be able to ship to the US ever. :( Perhaps a US retailer will cotton on and start offering something similar!
I’ve seen people complain on Pandora’s twitter that something they’ve had engraved has broken and then learned that it’s exempted from warranty because of the engraving! Do you have any information that engraved Pandora from JG is covered by Pandora’s two year warranty or not? They are lovely though! The Mora Pandora charm is such a nice touch and I really love your Choose Happiness bangle, the Queen Bee! I’ve been wearing my Bee on a necklace as I was unsure of ‘mixing metals’ but it’s so pretty on the bangle.
Hi Sofie,
If you have proof of purchase from John Greed Jewellery your warranty would still be valid with us! We would replace the jewellery and engraving!
Thank you for your lovely comments! Team JG x
That’s great to know! Thanks!
I see JG answered your question, but thanks so much for the nice comment! :) The Shine Queen Bee look amazing against the silver. The nice thing is that the bail is so light that it won’t scratch up the shiny silver of the bangle either.
I’d be willing to purchase one of your Mora Pandora engraved hearts if they ever become available. I would be very touched and excited to have such a special piece with so much meaning, and moments spent reading your blogs and making future purchase plans. Thanks again Ellie. I’m so pleased for you. John Greed did a fantastic job.
Me too!
Me too :-)
I never left a comment until today,
but love love love reading your blog.
Sign me up :)
It would represent not only this community but also to be thankful for Ellie’s remarkable job.
I want to share with you Ellie that when I first saw your email for this new post, I was in a bit of a rush at work and thought I had read John Greed had made 250,000 Mora Pandora Limited Edition hearts.
Bravo JD for offering such a beautiful momento to Ellie.
Hi Ellie!
Your engraved pieces are lovely, and commemorate such beautiful sentiments.
I did have two pieces engraved at a local jewelry store, but mine don’t have the depth of oxidation that yours do. Like Lisa K., I had my 25th Anniversary last August. I put together a special TT bracelet to commemorate the event. On either side of center I have 2 of the ribbon of love button shaped charms. I have our initials engraved on one side of the charm, and the date on the other. The engraving gives the bracelet such a personal message.
And, I too, would proudly wear a Mora Pandora heart on a bracelet. As we commemorate the special moments in our lives, this community has become one of the things I treasure.
Thanks for sharing your personal moments with us.
Your Mora Pandora engraved charm is absolutely beautiful Ellie. I felt so pleased at seeing it so I can’t imagine how pleased and proud you must feel seeing this. What a lovely tribute to all the hard work and dedication that you put into your blog. Congratulations. I am now tempted to have a “Be Here Now” charm to help to remind me to be present and mindful of every precious moment that we have.
Thank you very much! :D It was honestly one of my top blogging moments haha. Your ‘Be Here Now’ charm is a wonderful idea. It’s another message that I would find very useful. I think it’s also a good push to try and make sure that your ‘now’ is what you want it to be.
Hi Deborah! Thank you so much! Yes, I was really pleased to see how defined the engraving was. It honestly matches Pandora’s very nicely. I really love the sound of your engraved pieces as well, though. Congratulations on 25 years! ?
That is so kind of you to say! It would be such fun to offer something like that and I felt so touched reading through the comments on this article. What a lovely bunch you all are. :D
Hi Ellie! Your two charms and bracelet are beautifully engraved! I wish such a service was offered in the US. I am in awe of your Mora Pandora charm; it looks exactly like your logo! As mentioned above, I would definitely buy one of those if it were available, as your blog has been a HUGE part of my Pandora buying experience for years now and I would be lost without it!
Hi Joanne! Aha, thank you! I did have a bit of a google to see if there were any alternatives for readers in the US and in other countries and there really doesn’t seem to be much. It’s strange, as it’s a great service. And yes it was amazing to come and read the comments and see that other people were excited about the Mora Pandora charm too. It made my day. ? Thank you so much!
Yes, I believe Pandora Towson used to do engraving here in the U.S., but unfortunately, it seems they have removed this option.
I would love to purchase a Mora Pandora heart charm!! If you offered purchase through your website I’d really love to order one, this could be a good memory charm to offer for your followers in support of your website ;) I’m sure others would support this idea too because I’d be on board asap for one! <3 I also love the heart bangle bracelet engraving you picked, I feel this could be another piece I would also love to own as well but I live in the USA :/ merp merp no John Greed for me </3
I second the idea. As Leanne above very accurately says, it would be a way of celebrating the goods moments we have reading the blog and feeling part of a community. So, I think as well, that many of us would be on board ?
I totally agree!! ??
Totally agree as highlight of my day is reading new posts and then everyone’s cooments. It rally has grown into a community on this blog.
Beautiful works of art Ellie. I can see why you are so excited with them. The engraving is amazing. I’d love to have some engraved pieces but the two jewelers I took pieces to said they wouldn’t engrave Pandora jewelry. The SA waiting on me couldn’t explain why, just that the jeweler wouldn’t do it. Seems strange to me.
I love your bracelet the most and fully understand how meaningful the choice of words are to you. I too have a problem with anxiety and my husband tells me to choose not to be anxious and choose to be happy. So yes, your bracelet really resonates with me.
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much Beth! I’m sorry to hear that you struggle with anxiety, too. The message is simple, but effective, and I think it’s the kind of thing that can resonate most when anxious thoughts get so tangled up and knotty. :) I’ve been wearing it a lot lately.
It’s a shame that your jewellers wouldn’t engrave Pandora! I wonder why that would be. John Greed have permission by Pandora to engrave their jewellery, so I wonder if it’s a licensing thing. I hope that you manage to get your hands on some engraved pieces some day at least! :)
Love the engraving & how fab for JG to have put your actual logo on the heart charm! I’ve bought from MY a few times & have found their service, quality of items & postage rates to be really good! I’ve not tried their engraving yet, but looking at your items i will order something for a gift soon! Thanks for sharing Ellie, you do a brilliant job. Look forward to seeing how you use your new bangle – I got mine today:) x
From John Greed it should say rather than MY
Absolutely beautiful! I’ve been looking for an engraver, I wish they delivered to the US! I’ll keep looking :)
The engraving is absolutely beautiful! And wonderful memories to go along with each piece. I saw in the comments that Gaynor and Jessica are willing to help overseas buyers. I am in the U.S. and would love and appreciate assistance with purchasing an engraved charm. Or, some information on a mail forwarding service. Thanks all! Again, lovely pieces!
Love your morapandora heart. I don’t live in the UK but if I did I would be heading to JG to get a heart engraved with the same font. It’s beautifully done.
Have used JG 3 times for their engraving to commemorate my 2 granddaughters christening days and on a sadder note as a gift for my daughter in law when she lost her mum Superb service
How cool!
How can we get engraved bracelets shipped to the US and what would the shipping cost be?
Thank you.
We really need an engraver in the US too.
Do you send john greed your charm and then they engrave it or do you have to buy a new charm from them to engrave please?
They look lovely Ellie I love the mora Pandora one.
Hi Ellie,
While it is pouring rain this Saturday morning, I am sitting with my Tim coffee re-reading your superb Engraving JD post and everyone’s beautiful comments. Tears are also pouring…
“A dream is a wish your heart makes”
Hi Ellie,
Exquisite! Kudos to John Greed for such lovely work. I can only begin to imagine how thrilled you were to open your Mora Pandora charm with your exact logo. I, too, would love to have this identical charm to celebrate your blog and all the lovely ladies who make up this wonderful community. The Snowflake Heart is one of my most treasured dangles. What a beautiful memory you’ve shared!
What a lovely job John Greed does of engraving. Your mora pandora heart is so sweet – I am so glad it made you happy to receive it. ?
I have just bought the limited edition bangle with “love makes a family” engraved on it. The engraving is very faint and barely noticeable. The JG engraving on your bangle Ellie is so much better, not only because it is personalised but because you can actually read it. They done lovely work on your anniversary date too.
Hi Lozzie,
Today I purchased the same bangle and the SA hadn’t noticed the bracelet had engraving. It is very faint. Pandora should consider stepping up their game when it comes to engraving. I ended up buying the bracelet because of the secret garden all silver look of the lock not forthe engraving, shame really, it is a nice message. Anyway, I have to ask are you able to get the lock clasp on and off easily? I like the look of the padlock but I am finding it difficult to do up on my own. The SA told me Pandora will be selling locks separately so they can be changed up. I hope that’s true.
Cheers!
Lisa K
Hi Lisa, when I first brought it home I thought I might have to return it because it couldn’t do the lock by myself. However, it’s such a beautiful bangle I persevered and this morning I had no trouble at all putting it on by myself before work. My SA also told me Pandora will be releasing stand alone locks for this bangle which I like the idea of. Good luck, I hope you find it easier to put on like I have.
I had the Danish church charm engraved with the date of our wedding, had a camera charm engraved with my father’s initials after he passed away, and a “20” on the vintage heart dangle for our 20th wedding anniversary.
Thanks for this! Really stoked to see some pretentious (yet meaningful) quote on my bangle, haha. Would you happen to know whether they do engravings on the open bangles? They’re the only ones I wear. Their site doesn’t seem to have that option; I tried contacting them about it a week ago, but they haven’t answered.
Hi Sarah,
If you would like to email hello@johngreed.com with your query, a member of our customer services team will be happy to help you!
Many Thanks, Team JG
I want a Mora Pandora charm.
It’s adorable.
Hi:) I fall in love with this heart bead signed “Mora Pandora” ? Is it possible to get the same designed heart?) And how much it will cost? I live in Warsaw at that moment. It can be problem…Or must I have the bead graved in my country?