I was given a choice of items from their online store and found it hard to pick. There are some very pretty bracelets on there. I finally decided on a silver stacking set of bracelets with a sparking four-leaf clover.


The bracelets came packaged in a cute pink embossed box with branded ribbon and inside a black Silvero pouch. A pink silver cleaning cloth included in the parcel was a nice touch too. 

The bracelets were displayed wrapped around on a pink cushion. They looked super sparkly and shiny. I noticed they also sent me an extra silver bracelet with rainbow beads, which was a lovely touch.


The bracelets they sent me are made from sterling silver and are stretchy to put on. The standard size is 17cm but they can make the bracelets they sent me to any size if you email them beforehand.  

The detailing on the bracelets are exquisite.  Each bracelet is made of shiny and textured silver round beads. Two of the bracelets also have beautiful light blue-green aquamarine beads as well and one had tiny black stones too.   The rainbow bracelet has rainbow beads that have a subtle gorgeous violet, yellow and pink look in the light. Cubic Zirconia adds sparkle to the four-leaf clover.



Win a silver heart bracelet from Silvero

Pandora

I have a confession - until recently I didn't own a Pandora bracelet. Shocking I know, for any self respecting jewellery blogger, but when I owned my own jewellers we stocked another brand of charm beads and I just never got round to buying one for myself, even though I have wanted a Pandora bracelet for a long time. So I was delighted when Joshua James Jewellers sent me a Pandora bracelet to review in the post.
If you love jewellery as much as me, you will know the Pandora name, or even own a bracelet yourself. Pandora was founded in 1982 in Copenhagen and is known for its designer rings, necklaces, watches and most famously the customisable charm bracelets, and it is now one of the biggest jewellery companies in the World.

Pandora bracelets tell a story. Your story. With hundreds of bead charms to choose from you are really spoilt for choice. Each charm slides over the Pandora bracelet to create a truly unique piece of jewellery, reflecting your interests, your background, your family and your personality.

Joshua James Jewellers

Joshua James Jewellers is an official Pandora stockist and is based in East Yorkshire. The are proud to be an independent retailer and a British brand and since opening they have won numerous awards, such as Retail Jeweller of the Year at the British Jewellers Association. If you do not live in Yorkshire, all their beautiful jewellery is available to buy online from their website www.joshuajamesjewellery.co.uk too.

How To Chose The Right Size Pandora Bracelet



The traditional Pandora bracelet is a snake style silver chain bracelet, so I will talk about this style of bracelet throughout, although you can also get leather bracelets and bangles as well.

The ideal size of Pandora bracelet is 2cm bigger than your wrist measurement. This will allow you to build up your bracelet with enough room, whilst ensuring it does not fall of your wrist in the early stages. In my personal experience this style of charm bead bracelet can 'relax' a little over time so it is useful to think of this when you buy a bracelet.

Also something to think about, is do you want a completely full bracelet or would prefer a bracelet half full or only with a few charms? Also do you prefer a bracelet to be loose on your wrist or do you prefer a tighter fit? 

Once you have decided what the long term goal with your Pandora bracelet is likely to be, then the fun starts! You get to chose your bracelet, and then...*drum roll*... dum dum dum... the charms.

The Charms

A full Pandora bracelet will usually hold 15 to 20 charms, spacers/clips or safety chains. Spacers and clips add extra interest to the bracelet, help space the charms out and can hold them in place. Charms come in a variety of designs including charms with sparkling cubic zirconia, Murano glass charms and dangly charms. In order to prevent charms falling off and keep the bracelet on the wrist in the unlikelihood of the clasp coming undone, safety chains can be used.

There are hundreds of charms to chose from and new charms are released every season.

Choosing charms for each milestone of life is a popular way to build your bracelet. Some people also like to choose charms that are simply pretty and go with a colour scheme as well. Most bracelets are a mix of both of these.

My Bracelet

I have decided I want to build a pretty bracelet to include blue charms as I wear a lot of blue, some personal charms to me, such as a Mum charm and travel charms too.  A new charm that has recently come out is the 'Sky Mosaic Pave' charm. This charm caught my eye as it is very pretty and sparkly made up of blue and white stones. The other charm that I really like is the 'Sparkling Palm Tree' charm. 

As you can see when the charms are put together they twinkle in the light and look really lovely on the bracelet.

Michael Kors is an aspirational leading fashion brand that has many lovely jewellery and watches. Priced at the mid range market, every Michael Kors piece is designed with glamour in mind. The Michael Kors Parker chronograph ladies' watch, has pretty light blue ceramic inserts in the stainless steel bracelet and stunning sparkling crystals around the watch face. The strap has a chunky but elegant feel whilst the crystals add that summer sparkle. Although this has crystals, I feel you could wear this watch every day and it would certainly look great on your wrist whilst you are shopping or having lunch with friends. 

The History Of The Charm Bracelet



Charm bracelets have been popular as a personalised adornment since 400-600 BC. In years gone by they were used as an amulet to ward off bad luck and some of the first charms were made of shells and clay, then later, rocks, wood and gems.

Queen Victoria wore a charm bracelet and she is credited to the rise of popularity of charm bracelets amongst the European noble classes in the 19th century. We have come on a lot in today's society but the popularity of charm bracelets is still strong today. Modern ladies have decided they prefer bead charms and clip on charms to the soldered charm bracelets of yesteryear. The European style charm bracelets emerged in 2002, a thick silver chain holds a number of beads which are threaded through.  There are many brands of charm bracelets, but one of the most popular today is Pandora.

Pandora 



Pandora was started in Denmark in a small independent jewellers in the early 80's but it wasn't until 2000 that the concept of the Pandora charm bracelet was created, initially for the Danish market. Pandora grew quickly after that, and is now sold in over 70 countries. Consumers love the pretty modern designs and the way of telling their own story through the individual charms.

Pandora's charms are high quality and hand finished. Bracelets range from the traditional thick snake chains, to thinner chains, cord bracelets and even bangles. Each charm screws onto the bracelet and also dividers are available for added detail. Beads are affordable, and sold at a range of prices but what matters most is the way the Pandora beads tell a story that is individual and unique to you. That is what makes Pandora special - You. Your memories, your experiences and your stories, and the beads you choose to weave the rich tapestry of your life. Charms that really mean something to you.


With more than 600 charms to choose from you will be spoilt for choice. 

First love and lasting love can be symbolised with the Together Forever charm, whilst a marriage can be symbolised with many of the Love charms available - the Bride and Groom charm or the First Dance charm for example. If you have just bought a new house, then the Home charm is perfect and if you have a special birthday there are the 21, 30 or 40 charms. There are charms for babies being born, pets and graduations. I love the travel charms such as the suitcase and aeroplane as I'm always off on a new adventure.



Where To Buy Pandora

I like buying jewellery through independent shops as I always feel you get service personal to you. Robert Gatward Jewellers sell a wide range of Pandora to suit your needs through their four Pandora stores (in Abingdon, Thame, Ipswich and Windsor) and they have well trained, personable staff that give you help and advice if needed. Did you know that when buying a Pandora bracelet, you should allow 2-3 cm of extra space for the charms if you plan to fill it up?


On their website is a nifty Pandora enquiry form so they can tell you which of their stores stock the jewellery you require and they also do a free of charge mail order delivery service. I mean how convenient is that! Just give them ring and your Pandora jewellery will be delivered to your door in no time. You don't even have to live close to their stores.

If you want to find out more check out the Pandora range from Robert Gatward Jewellers.

You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter too which is especially good if you want to ask them a question about their jewellery.

Tell me, do you own or would you buy a Pandora bracelet? What charms would you have to signify your story?

* A post in collaboration with Robert Gatward Jewellers. All words and opinions are my own

Lily Charmed is one of those small British jewellery companies that are original and different.

The company was launched in 2011 by cousins Marcus Pearce and Lucy Lee, and named after Marcus' daughter, the charming Lily.  They create jewellery that is personalised and make their items unique with the use of charms and message cards.

The charms themselves are lovingly made in the UK by Lily Charmed themselves. The company prides itself on it's customer service and listening to their customers, so each charm can be ordered in a polished or satin finish. I personally feel that this is a lovely touch as a matt satin finish gives a very modern and unique touch to the charms they create. I chose to review a custard cream charm bracelet for my review.

Astrology is the study of the influence that distant cosmic objects, usually stars and planets, have on human lives. The position of the sun, stars, moon and planets at the time of people's birth (not their conception) is said to shape their personality, affect their romantic relationships and predict their economic fortunes, among other divinations. What most people know about astrology is their "sign," which refers to one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac.

Vintage Styler is a brand that has a passion for all things beautiful... I mean seriously beautiful. 



They love to source items that make you feel special and are very stylish, perfect for those girlie girls amongst you. Vintage Styler really focuses on design, and glamour for a perfect night out, with statement necklaces and jewelled earrings key pieces on their website.  Fabulous clutch bags are another feature including wedding bags, and they have a great selection of wedding accessories too.

So, as they know my love of sparkly things, I was sent this Vintage Styler bracelet to review.

Screenshot from Charade showing Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have fallen in love with this bracelet like I have, why don't you check out the Vintage Styler website for other glamorous items?

Curbbz is a cool new fashion brand that make statement bracelets. 




After its launch party last November it's continued to build its brand identity and now they have 6000 Twitter followers. For a new business this is a big achievement. The great price point and it's celeb connections worn by members of Towie and X Factor's Rough Copy seem to have worked wonders in building this new brand.

The designs are different and edgy, silicon bracelets woven with stainless steel create a modern look that is high fashion. The colourways include silver and gold coloured steel links, navy, red and even camouflage bracelets that can be worn by both men and women. 

Curbbz have kindly sent me a bracelet to review on my blog. I decided to try the black silicon bracelet with the gold coloured stainless steel links.





As you put it on it advises you to roll it over your closed hand to your wrist and not to overly stretch it. It stretches from 6 to 7 inches and would fit most people except those with particularly large wrists. It feels comfortably snug whilst on and unlike cheaper bracelets it has a reassuringly chunky feel. The stainless steel links are stamped with the name of the brand but other than that it's simple but striking design stands for itself. I love the black and yellow gold coloured design as it is very versatile and perfect for a night out on the town. The bracelet reminds me of the gold curb bracelets that were popular a few years ago.

At the moment Curbbz bracelets can be bought online but I have one of these bracelets worth £49 to give away to one of my lucky readers. The red and silver coloured link bracelet would be a perfect gift for Valentine's Day for all the fashionistas out there. 

To enter please go to the Curbbz website and then come back and go through the questions on the Rafflecopter application to enter. You can tweet daily for an extra entry, so bookmark this page.

You can follow Curbbz on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram 

Don't forget to check out other current competitions here.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

Sometimes you just want to treat yourself or want to purchase a jewellery gift that's pretty without breaking the bank. In these times of recession the smart shopper keeps an eye on prices but always looks for quality pieces that will last. You CAN get beautiful costume jewellery, that looks good without being tacky, doesn't fall apart and is keenly priced. How do I know? I know because of a website called Narovia.

Narvoia is a jewellery and fashion accessories company that sells jewellery, scarves and bags and is keen to promote themselves as offering some of the best prices on the World Wide Web. For the purpose of this review they have sent me some pieces of jewellery to review and share with my lovely readers.

The first item I would like to talk about is the shamballa bracelet. This bracelet features 9 Swarovski crystal balls on a black cord adjustable strap. I really liked this bracelet. The cord felt very strong, with the waxed like finish, and was incredibly sparkly. When I adjusted he bracelet to fit my wrist, which you do by holding the corded knot it felt satisfying stiff to adjust. This is great as you do not want these type of bracelets to get too loose. Priced at only £5.99 it is a true bargain.

Then I received an item from their Outlet section. If you think £5.99 was a bargain you should have a look here. All items on their Outlet section at present are only £1! The white crystal earrings they sent me would be a perfect gift for a fashion conscious teen. A great stocking filler or a little treat for your daughter perhaps, the sparkly crystal stones would pick up the light on a night out clubbing for example.

I've kept the best until last. The last item I received was the 18 carat white gold plated Swarovski heart necklace. This pretty necklace has a gorgeous Swarovski crystal stone in the centre which is a beautiful shade of blue. The adjustable chain lets you alter the length to suit you which is a fab idea. This necklace would make a lovely gift or a treat for yourself. A very pretty necklace of great quality for the price.

If you would like to order from Narovia, postage is a very reasonable £2 for items under £20 and free over this price. At the moment if you enter the code DIARY13 when you place an order you will get 25% off as well. So if you have some Christmas money, why don't you have a browse to pick up some bargains, or maybe even start your Christmas shopping for next year? It's never to early!