That's Noice!

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, Pandora have released a Limited Edition Breast Cancer Awareness bracelet.

The bracelet is made from pink leather and features the new Pandora Breast Cancer Awareness charm (which can also be purchased separately)

Pandora will donate 15% of the proceeds of sales of the Pandora Breast Cancer charms and the Limited Edition Breast Cancer bracelet to The National Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2008, they successfully raised $256,293 and this year hope to top $400,000.

You can purchase on line from Gillett’s Jewellers or any other Pandora retailer.

My bracelet, you can click through to see the details of each bead on flickr

Pandora beads and bracelets have become increasingly popular in Australia over the last few years but they have actually been around since 1999.

Pandora has a great range of beads in silver, gold and glass, as well as bracelets and necklaces. But they can be a little expensive compared to the other brands that have now started flooding the market and considering once you buy one… you can’t stop!  Just because you have a Pandora bracelet, does not mean you have to only buy Pandora beads.

There is a great range of good quality beads that are compatible with your Pandora bracelet:

• Lovelinks — Lovelinks has a great range of beads, all compatible with Pandora bracelets. Check out the 300 new beads released this month! (I would probably not buy a Lovelinks bracelet; Pandora and other brand beads do not fit on it). They also have a petite range of smaller beads and bracelets
  
• Chamilia — Another quality brand of beads that fit the Pandora bracelet. They have a large range of Disney-licenced beads
  
• Biagi — A nice range of breads, they have also just launched a kids range
  
• Personality — fairly new to Australia, they have a huge range of beads — some really made from really unusual materials for something different
• Prouds — Prouds’ add-a-charm is a great budget range, with most beads $20.

Online stores:

• Gillette’s Jewellers
• Lovelinks Online
• Charms4u
• Charm me
• Amante
• Nelliemae
• eBay — can be a great place to pick up a bargain, but as with anything on eBay. Read the listing carefully 3 times. There are people selling fake/plated beads so beware of what you are buying.
• Etsy — We LOVE etsy. There are some beautiful glass bead makers, I have a few myself. Great prices and you can get something really unique that you won’t find in any shop.

I hadn’t heard about the Pandora/Lovelinks phenomenon until my sister gave me a Lovelinks bracelet for my 30th birthday this year. Turns out I’m a bit behind in this trend of the new-age charm bracelet!

So when I discovered that there was a cupcake Lovelink available – how could I resist?!

The cupcake Lovelink cost $35, so would make a nice gift for that special cupcake person in your life. Personally, I think you should buy it for yourself – because, well, you’re worth it!

While making idle chit-chat with the jeweller, he told me that he’s seen quite a few women buy the diamond ring lovelink “to give their boyfriend the hint that they want to get married”. So I figure I must be wanting to remind myself about the need to make cupcakes!

Lovelinks are available from selected jewellers listed on their web site.

There are also a bunch of other places to buy similar charms – where have you seen them?