to not understand the Pandora obsession?

[MycatsaPirate]

Just that really!

A neighbour of ours is obsessed with it, every Christmas/birthday/mother's day she is constantly tagging her husband on fb with endless Pandora ads saying 'hint hint hubby!'. She has loads of it. And so does one of my DSD's.

Why spend so much money on stuff that so many other people are also wearing?

Each to their own but I don't get it. And surely it will be worth nothing in a few years time?

I'm not overly bothered about jewellery, I wear my engagement ring (which was made specifically for me) and a pair of pretty plain white gold earrings every day .

Would just love to know why Pandora is so popular? And why some people want the entire collection?

@Lethaldrizzle so true. They also control the supply and only release a tiny percentage of the available diamonds at any one time.

Not to mention their involvement in exploitation of miners

No diamonds here. I do like a nice sapphire and ruby on occasion though

Yes but not many diamonds are free of the taint exploitation and violence are they?

Oh come on, and Pandora makes its stuff in Thailand because the locals like the pretty sparkles?

Pandora, Primark - all use near-as-they-can-legally-get-to-sweatshops as they can, to maximise profits. Let's not pretend they are knitting their own charms out of locally-sourced horse manes.

I think it's tacky, but I think my views are more based on the people o know who wears it, rather than the actual jewellery, so the probably says more about me then the little trinkets!

Nb. My arch enemy wears a bracelet full of the crap

Part of the point of accumulating jewellery for birthdays and anniversaries was that it built up a sort of savings account for women

I just wanted to point out that unless you're buying second-hand (and then you really need to know what you're doing), buying jewellery is a terrible way of creating a 'savings account'. Many is the very disappointed woman who after a divorce tries to sell her engagement ring and discovers that what it's 'worth' is about a third of what it 'cost'...

@southennorthener
*
Nb. My arch enemy wears a bracelet full of the crap *

Me too - my SIL

buying jewellery is a terrible way of creating a 'savings account'
yes well I am pretty sure everyone is aware of that.

But when women were not permitted bank accounts or their own money, were not able to work etc collecting charms and other jewelry was pretty much their only option.

I wouldn't like one not because they are popular but because they are mass produced. I certainly wouldn't judge anyone else for liking them though.

I like jewellery made by individuals with good energy who put that good energy into the pieces they make. I like to support artists and small businesses and having bespoke jewellery doesn't have to cost a fortune.

I don't like diamonds either I prefer amber.

If you love your Pandora and it makes you smile then wear it with pride and a happy heart.

If you don't like it wear whatever makes you happy.

@MargaretCavendish
So true.
I got divorced a few years ago, Christmas was coming up and I had no job so I put together all my jewellery I had accumulated over the year from the relationship and took it in.
I got £300.

I was actually not surprised, but it certainly reiterated the fact that it's all a bit of a con.

There was plenty of Tiffany, Links of London and some nicer more independent jewellery with rubies, some gold too and over the years would have cost to buy a small fortune.
But the silver stuff alone was about £50 worth and that made up the bulk of what I had.

Yes I could have tried to sell prices individually.
But links of London and Tiffany in the same band as Pandora has so many cheap knock off's or fakes going on eBay that it wouldn't have been worth the hassle.
I didn't love or wear any of it though, so £50 was better than nothing and not the sort of thing I would hand down to my children.

I am now rather into Horology and there is less money lost there if you know what to buy

I have no doubt there is a fair bit of exploitation in the making of Pandora.
But I have never understood the willingness of people to accept exploitation as long as the producers mark up is high enough.
i.e. the way Primark is reviled but high end retailers get a pass because they make £30 quid on every teeshirt they sell rather than 15p

Looks like that attitude applies to jewelry too.

But when women were not permitted bank accounts or their own money, were not able to work etc collecting charms and other jewelry was pretty much their only option

Firstly, I don't think everyone does know just how little of the face value you'll get if you try and sell, say, an engagement ring (most women's most expensive piece of jewellery). Secondly, how does that apply to buying jewellery in 2017? I was responding to a poster suggesting that it's silly to buy Pandora because it has no resale value. My point was that it's silly to buy any new jewellery thinking of it as an investment (that's another bit of the De Beers con) and that nothing you buy at Pandora's price mark, or indeed some way above it, has any resale value to think of.

I think they are awful but I'm pretty sure my choice in jewellery is not to everyone's taste.

Pandora have nailed it.

They can mass produce stuff, flog it at huge mark-ups.

And everyone's happy because their bracelet (or whatever) is, like, totally unique and just so meaningful.

They can mass produce stuff, flog it at huge mark-ups.

What, like every successful business ever in the history of...um...buying and selling stuff?

Yes but some “stuff” is worth buying. Not so the Pandora stuff.

Define worth.

I love how so many people are such individuals and would never sully themselves with anything liked by the masses.

I have some unusual jewellery and a links of london bracelet. I lvoe my radley handbag but also have some things that are one offs.

Can we not just like what we like without being judged about how "worthy" it is in terms of individuality?

My pandora bracelet was "worth" buying to me, thanks.

An item is worth only what it means to a person.

IME those who are so bothered about being "individual" and "different" are anything but

‘Meaningful’ tat. It’s the new version of a China cabinet full of figurines given as presents because the givers lack imagination.

The shops are full of people with bad eyebrows.

It’s the new version of a China cabinet full of figurines given as presents because the givers lack imagination.

You should watch Grayson Perry's documentary on the British class system. It's all on youtube, so no excuse. The working class episode has some great analysis on how people impart their own meaning on mass produced objects. It's so intelligent and empathetic and all those dissing pandora could learn a lot from his open mindedness and genuine desire to understand others.

What, like every successful business ever in the history of...um...buying and selling stuff?

Exactly. Plus the other bit, that you cut off from my post, which is where they nailed it.

Nothing screams council estate more than young chardonnay caked in makeup false eyelashes iPhone poking out of her back pocket and covered in cheap pandora junk. And let's have it right it is all cheap junk. Just because someone is stupid enough to pay £200 for a scrap of silver and glass worth £7.27p doesn't mean it's worth £200

If you love your Pandora and it makes you smile then wear it with pride and a happy heart.
This. I assume people like it as every charm thingy tells a story for them.