I’ve been promising to set out a general category list for Pandora beads for some time now. So, for those of you who follow my blog, here is a simple list and outline of the basic categories of Pandora beads you can find. I’ll possibly break this down into smaller blog posts later, giving a more detailed summary of what Pandora charms you can find in each category.
Of course, some jewelers categorize their Pandora beads a little differently, or break the categories down more as there’s no real set pattern on how to categorize them.
Gold, Silver or Glass Murano?
The first major way I would categorize Pandora beads is according to what they’re made from. Naturally, 14k gold Pandora beads are generally more expensive than the Sterling silver or Murano beads. There are some instances where a silver bead would be more expensive, but that is usually if it sports a precious or semi-precious stone.
Alphabet Pandora Charms
There are two different sets of Sterling Silver Alphabet charms. One set is Sterling silver only, the other Sterling silver with a gold letter. Great for spelling out your name, your boyfriend or significant other’s name, your favorite football club initials, or the initials of the university you graduated from. It’s up to you. Be creative!
Animal Pandora Charms
This is a rather broad category. There are silver and gold animal charms that you can add to your Pandora bracelet. Prices vary depending on the material they’re made from. Some are more realistically crafted than others, but if you’re an animal lover or want to lighten up your Pandora charm bracelets, then take a look at the animal selection.
Birthstone Pandora Charms
Beautifully created birthstone Pandora beads are the perfect birthday gift for someone who already has a Pandora bracelet and enjoys adding charms to it. These Sterling silver charms feature a silver bead with a birthstone dangling from a small silver chain. There is a different stone for each month of the year. Aside from these, you can also buy an assortment of other Pandora jewelry and Pandora beads as well, with the particular birthstone for each month. So, don’t be limited to only the ‘birthstone charms’ but look around and see if there’s anything else you like.
Flower Pandora Charms
There’s a beautifully crafted selection of Pandora beads dedicated to the world of nature, with some beautiful flower beads available. There are gold flowers, silver flowers, a combination of both gold and silver, then both with precious or semi-precious stones. At last glance I counted about 40 different Pandora charms that would fall into the ‘flower’ category. Some are bigger and more bulky than others, while some are very small and petite. All are quite gorgeous!
Food and Drink Pandora Charms
This is another broad category, and it includes Pandora beads from the fruit category, teapots and cups, cakes and cupcakes. Again, a huge variety in the price and what is available. The wedding cake charm is perfect to give to someone who’s getting married, or it can double as a birthday cake charm. I love some of the fruit charms, though I think my favorite retired golden strawberry charm that retails for around $700! I also really like the small sterling silver apple that has a very cute golden worm!
Holiday and Special Occasion Pandora Charms
You can also find Christmas Charms, Easter Charms, Mother’s Day charms, even a charm for Thanksgiving or one for Halloween!
Most of the online jewelry stores that sell Pandora charms allow you to search the charms by category, which makes it very simple to make your choice of what Pandora beads you are most interested in.