I went to the Bahamas in September 2010 and stayed at the Riu Paradise Island. They had a jewelery store in the lobby. I remember looking at these really pretty ‘charm’ bracelets that you buy the bracelet and then add all kinds of charms. I was going to buy one and took the brochure up to the room. I ended up not buying one.

Once I got home, I started to notice around friends and other people that they had these bracelets with all different charms. Similar to what I had seen in the Bahamas but not quite. People were telling me that these bracelets were called Pandora. The ones I had seen in Nassau were Chamilla, not Pandora.

My mom and I were lucky enough to be going on a cruise that December and I told her that when we got to Grand Cayman I was buying a Pandora.

When we arrived in Grand Cayman there we made a bee line for the Jewellery store. I saw the pandora logo and off we went.

My mother wasn’t in the market for a bracelet, but as she looked at the charms, there was no turning back, two bracelets please.

We both started off with a few charms…and then a few more once we got home. It is a pretty safe thing to say that collecting Pandora charms was going to be one of those things….you just ‘gotta have’.

For my birthday in February 2011 it was time to celebrate – and there was a party, with a lot of friends who were generous enough to buy me a lot of charms for the bracelet. A wrapped present, an airplane, a heart, a flower just to name a few. I think there were five charms added for my birthday.

Each charms started to represent either my favourite colour (purple in case you didn’t know) or my job (suitcase and airplane) or my passion for purses. 

I was going to Vegas and I googled “pandora charms, vegas” and found out there was an exclusive charm just sold in Vegas – at the Forum shops, so of course I had to have it. When I went into the store, it felt like being on the Amazing race. I asked the girl, “do you have the charm?” she replied, “the exclusive charm”…it is a dice, so of course I had to have that.

That actually became something new to look for charms where I was travelling to. So, in New York, I bought the apple, and in Hawaii I bought the pineapple. At this point, my bracelet was full.

and then…..I saw it….and new I had to have it. The camera charm. But the bracelet was full….start a new one the lady at the store said….sure, not! But I had to have the charm. So, I took off a spacer and put the camera in its place.

I am sad in a way that the bracelet is full. Looking for new charms and then planning where each one would fit into its place was fun. Would I start a second bracelet? I don’t know, you don’t get multiple birthday gifts every single year. Maybe a necklace…maybe….we’ll see.

For now, I have my very beautiful bracelet that I look at and smile when I am wearing it.

What’s your favourite charm (if you have a Pandora)? What is on your wish list?