Pandora Addict

NOTE: This is for the Moments collection bracelets. The Essence Collection is much more daintier, and their charms have silicone already inside the core. These two collections are not interchangeable.

So you just purchased your first leather, bangle, silver or gold charm bracelet..and you are wondering why everything is moving about.

Let’s start with leather:

Leather bracelets come in a variety of colors and lengths. They also come in single or double – double wraps around your wrist twice or triple.

Sampling of available leathers:

Leather bracelets do not have the threads (knots or bumps) in the middle of the bracelet like the silver and gold ones (more about this below). Leathers are not broken into 3 sections; because of this, every movement of your wrist allows the charms to move freely about. Bangles are the same, no sections, charms will move freely.

                                       The Pandora Bangle

The good news is: there is a way to stop this!

You will want to purchase small silicone rings..some people use the term “o-ring.” These will have an opening in the  middle of the silicone, so you can slide it over the end of the bracelet (as you would put on or take off a charm). Also these rings are not meant to be easy to get on, since they wont slide around on their own. With a little pushing you can get them into position on your leather. They also come in clear or black. These will fit inside openwork charms (without threads), with a little push.

Example of the silicone rings:

However the bracelet pictured is NOT Pandora.
These are the same ones you would use on a leather, a metal bracelet
or with clips.

Pandora does have their own black c-shaped rubber insert for clips. Not all stores will have these, and will have to ask for them.

Official Pandora clip insert

If you do not want to see the silicone ring on your bracelet, leather, bangle or metal, a clip will fit over it. Or you can purchase stopper beads, which are smaller than a regular bead. These are spacers with the silicone in the middle already. There are clips that are sold with the silicone also.

 
Example of a leather bracelet with stopper beads (neither are Pandora):

The white, actually clear, part within the silver ring is the silicone.

Both silicone rings and stopper beads will have to be purchased from other brands. Most of these are universal, meaning the silicone ring or bead is made to fit the most popular charm bracelet brands.

These types can be purchased in stores or online:

Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Amazon, eBay, Kohl’s, any place that sells charm bracelets

 Search for silicone bead stopper

OR

Search for stopper bead

OR

Search for stopper bead rings

(Note: Kohl’s Online has stopper beads, not the silicone rings.

If you search o-rings, these are for plumbing so you will need a size)

Onwards to the silver or gold bracelets:

Pandora’s charm bracelets are divided into 3 sections, the middle section has threads (knots or bumps) to partition the section.

 
A real Pandora silver bracelet(above).

When you are just starting out, it’s a good idea to put clips onto the middle threads. This will keep the charms in the middle section and help the bracelet to not stretch as much. Bracelets do stretch with the weight of charms. Clips on these threads also do not  slide around.

Keep in mind clips will not fit the end threads, the thread near the clasp or the thread where you screw on the charms. However, clips can  go anywhere on the bracelet. If clips are put anywhere else, besides the middle threads, and the bracelet is not full they will slide around. This is where silicone rings or stopper beads will come in handy! Remember silicone rings can be placed first, and a clip around them.

When your bracelet is pretty full or complete, either keep clips on the middle threads and near the clasp threads so charms do not unscrew themselves off your bracelet while putting on or taking off.

Or purchase a safety chain – best to try these on in store before purchasing – as you have to re-learn how to put on your bracelet and you may not like the dangling chain. The purpose of a safety chain is to help stable the bracelet to clasp it when putting on, to catch the bracelet from falling off your wrist if the clasp should randomly come undone, and to stop charms from unscrewing off when clasp is opened. However have heard from stores most do not purchase a safety chain and just use clips…but it is your preference!

There are 2 types of safety chains: the original style and the clip style. The original style does fit over the threads near the clasp – however have heard they do not stay in place when the bracelet is not full. Some still use a spacer or clip in between a charm and the safety chain, so the safety chain does not unscrew off the thread. Also with this style, it screws on like a charm, so you must take everything off your bracelet first to put on.

The clip safety chain does not need everything to be taken off first. However this style does not fit over the threads near the clasp. This works like a traditional Pandora clip.

The infamous safety chain how-to put on image here