Buying knock-off Pandora brand charms and bracelets
I don’t think there’s anyone who’s seen authentic Pandora charms and bracelets who hasn’t fallen in love with their exquisite beauty and high quality. The top of the line brand of European beads appeals to almost everyone. But the price tag – $25 up to hundreds of dollars per bead – can put the kabosh on your Pandora charm dreams.
Like in any situation where the price is high and so is the demand, a new market will develop that will provide buyers with the product they want at a much lower price. Often, these are called knock-offs because while they resemble the authentic item, they are priced so that they are affordable to almost everyone. With Pandora charms and beads, many buyers will deliberately seek out knock offs and hope that no one notices…
But before assuming that sellers of similar but cheaper charms are crooks and scoundrels trying to deceive the buyer, lets take another look. Pandora charms are only one brand of a style of charm that is broadly called a “European style charm.” These differ from the “traditional” charms in that they are attached to the bracelet through a hole in the center, and not via a link that dangles from the chain. European charms rather are beads of varying sizes and shapes, and they look very different than the typical charm bracelet.
Pandora Glass Bead
Traditional Charm
Chamilia and Biagi are two other manufacturers of European style charms, and in no way can they be considered cheap knock offs although often they cost less than the Pandora charms just because they don’t carry the Pandora name. But buyers often don’t distinguish between competing brand names and the less-flattering term “knock-off” when shopping for European beads. To them, if it’s not a Pandora it’s a knock-off. And that does a disservice to other fine makers of these charms!
To me, the term knock-off should be used to describe fake goods, not just items with a different brand name. A charm that’s clearly labeled Biagi, for example, is NOT what I’d consider a Pandora knock-off. It’s genuine, but it’s just not a Pandora. On the other hand, a European charm labeled Pandora but cheaply made by another maker to LOOK like a Pandora, is what I’d considered to be a knock-off. Also known as a fake Pandora! This practice is not only unethical, its illegal to sell something as a particular brand when it isn’t.
The makers of European charm bracelets make the charms and beads to be the same size so that they’ll all fit on the same bracelet. That lets buyers have the most flexibility in designing the perfect charm bracelet by using charms and beads from all the manufacturers, and combining some of the more expensive charms will lesser priced ones to keep the jewelry affordable. There’s nothing wrong with mixing brands on your charm bracelet! Just be sure that what you’re getting is the authentic brand name (whatever it may be) and not a fake or knock-off without realizing it.
How do you know if you are getting an authentic brand name or a knock off or fake? The first clue is the PRICE! If authorized dealers in that brand typically sell beads and charms for $20+ apiece, then you know darn well that the beads listed for less than $5 are not the genuine article. If authenticity is important to you and you can afford the best, then shop with an authorized dealer who will guarantee that the bead or charm you buy is the real deal. Another way to tell to look at the title and description of the bead. If it says “Glass Bead for (or fits) Pandora, Biagi” then beware! All this is telling you is that its the same size as the name brand piece and it will fit on their bracelets.
If price is the most important thing to you, and you don’t care if it’s a genuine brand name or not, then don’t worry about it. Just buy what you like. Chances are you’ll be getting a fake but if you don’t care, then no one gets hurt. It’s the people who want to own the authentic brand name and who end up being cheated who are the victims. But if you use common sense and read the ads carefully, and only deal with sellers who are trustworthy, you’ll be OK. Make sure they have a money-back guarantee if the item turns out to be a fake! If you pay for a brand name, then that’s what you should get!
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