All Charms | Lovelinks | Italian Charm Bracelets | Nomination | Tweetie Charms

Most of you may use a piece of this man’s invention and if you do not personally use it someone you know will and you will have heard of it….. IKEA.  The name IKEA is made up of an acronym it is made up of the initials of his name (Ingvar Kamprad) plus those of Elmtaryd, the family farm where he was born, and the nearby village Agunnaryd.

This man is worth an estimated $23 billion dollars and something that started off as a childhood passion selling something that he could buy in bulk and still can make a small profit from it.  Anyone who knows IKEA knows that you can get good value for money and at a realistic price.  The designs are simplistic and this sums up Ingvar Kamprad.

As a multi-millionaire this man could literally spend his money on what he likes, buy what he likes, live where he likes and drive what he likes.  But this man lives what he preaches, he does none of the above and he encourages his employees to do the same. He is a man who still owns and drives a Volvo car that is 15 years old, will only fly economy class and does not like to see waste in the workplace and tells him employees to write on both sides of the paper. This is really outstanding for a man of his wealth to be so real and keep to the one thing that gave him his wealth, a passion for seeing people live with nice things that don’t cost the earth.

Yes he will spend a little on a nice home but he is a fan of his own business and often is seen at IKEA when he wants a cheap meal or to buy cheap presents he is often seen there.  Even when you think this man could take from the business what he likes he too still shops a lot during the sales. It is nice to know that some people who have made it cannot let it affect them that they really do live what they say.

The craze of the charm bracelet appears to be going from strength to strength, with a lot of women now owning one.  Compared to last year there has been an increase in the amount of new bracelets bought so we know even though you may have had your bracelet for a while that some women are just starting off their journey.

For those who do not know much about charm bracelets we are going to give you an insight into the top 4 charm bracelet out there, these are in no particular order and we will show you the similarities and differences between them all.

Pandora

The Pandora charm bracelet has been in the UK roughly about 11 years now, their range of jewellery is all made of sterling silver, just as is lovelinks jewellery. They have a wide range of sterling silver charms, gold charms, charms with cubic zirconia and murano glass.  The price of the Pandora charm is more expensive compared to brands out there but the detail that goes into their charms can justify this. This is something Pandora prides themselves on and it is quality of jewellery.  Their charms are put on the bracelet by a unique threading; this is the trademark of Pandora.

Lovelinks

The collection of lovelinks jewellery is similar to Pandora, their bracelet is a similar style however the charms are not threaded on they are pushed onto the bracelet.  Lovelinks have an extensive range of murano glass charms compared to any other brand and what is great is that lovelinks have made their charms slightly bigger so that all their charms are compatible on other types of charm bracelets. The price of these charms even though they too are made out of sterling silver are slightly cheaper than Pandora and therefore make a great alternative.

Thomas Sabo

Is a different style again similar to the concept of the sweetie bracelet by Links of London, the charms are fastened to the bracelet by a clip.  So creating new looks every day is extremely simple and easy to do so. This range is sterling silver too, however unlike the other charms bracelets people do find that this cannot be easily worn on a daily basis as the charms do hang off the bracelet and catch on other materials. But again each charm bracelet is always going to be down to personal preference.

Nomination

There is only one style like this on the market and this is why nomination charm bracelet is becoming increasingly popular.  The make is stainless steel and therefore completely different again to all the other brands.  Nomination has designed an interlocking mechanism which connects all the charms together.  Their brand is all about quality and at a great price too. This is why they have used stainless steel as it keeps the price of the item down to the customer however they have used 18ct gold, enamel and semi-precious stones on their charms so you it really does look a classic and stylish piece of jewellery.

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The Nomination Family

Become a part of a successful Italian family buy buying into the nomination jewellery brand.  When we shop around today do you often wonder, who actually started this company and do they really care if something I buy goes wrong. This is something that nomination prides themselves on.  They originally started as a family business and have maintained this tradition.  There is something different when you buy from a family business and generally their work ethos is different to those of a big company that are in it for the money.  Yes a family business inevitably also what to profit out of their business but because as a business they are a family they want to uphold their family name.  Often people who know a family in business are more likely to support a business that is family based as they can see where there is actually going and who is supported by it. As a customer of such a business you feel you come apart of their wider family and are often treated as family whenever you shop or use their service.

It is this that a lot of big companies cannot have as you cannot put a price on core family values.  So what have nomination done?  They have brought out a stylish nomination charm bracelet, they have made sure that their quality is the best with the  use of 18ct gold links, semi-precious stones, cubic zirconium stones and enamel.  They have not put a major cost either on owning such a beautiful piece of jewellery unlike some other companies.  Their starter bracelet which consists of 13 inter-locked links costs £5 and additional links with all those memories that are held dear by the individual person range from £15 – £40, whereas some other brands their charms range from £23 – £600.  Nomination has kept their brand a quality brand but something that people won’t be able to afford or keep up with.

Now both men and women alike can have a stunning piece of jewellery that can be added to and changed on a daily basis to suit their preferences.  But knowing as a family of the nomination brand they are looked after as family and treated with utmost importance.

Why is it important to invest in quality, whilst everyone seems to be watching their pennies, it can also seem the easier option to cut the amount you spend on jewellery too. We would hope that when you do invest in a quality brand and especially a name that you are in-fact hoping because of this that your item will last as long as you need it to.

When we look at brands such as Primark and yes it can be for the moment spend, the average top is £4 and you can even pick up a pair of jeans for £10 well you can pick up anything from Primark it is generally £10 or less.  It is great that you can buy an entire outfit on a budget but what you can pay for in the end, you often have something that will only keep in its original condition the one time you wear it.

The same can be said for jewellery brands you can wear a replica to sterling silver and yes it can give you the look of silver however wear it a couple of times you will start to notice the silver plate will start to come off and will often leave your skin with a green  mark on it.  This actually shows there has been a reaction and only approved and stamped sterling silver jewellery would never actually do this.

The quality of the item is often not even the same, we have seen this many a time with the lovelinks jewellery .  When buying a replica of this brand such as charms for their bracelets they will not fit on the bracelet properly often wearing down the item quicker.  The murano glass charms will not actually be murano glass and consequently they crack and break, whereas the actual murano glass charms are a lot more durable and harder wearing. The silver plate can come of the charms which will make the charms become discoloured and it will not look like the original you first bought.

To invest in a brand of jewellery that is sterling silver you know you are buying quality for every item as in order to be classed as sterling silver jewellery it has to go through hallmarking the Wikipedia definition of hallmarking is and is validated by a number 925:

• To indicate the purity of the silver alloy used in the manufacture or hand-crafting of the piece.
• To identify the silversmith or company that made the piece.
• To note the date and/or location of the manufacture.

It is worth to buy hallmarked sterling silver jewellery to know you are buying genuine silver, that the company can be traced if needed and for peace of mind it is authentic.

Every woman whatever her taste or style, needs a collection of essential accessories to mix and match with all her clothes in the wardrobe. There are literally hundreds of different types of accessories that a woman can own and can use again and again to dress up an outfit or simply make it look like an every day wear.

That is why (in most cases) it is easier to buy for women as opposed to men, because woman can keep adding to their accessory collection which never dates or gets old.

To give you an idea of those staple accessories for your wardrobe, then here are our essentials list that we think you need in your collection.

A collection of scarves

A scarf can truly bring an outfit to life. If you find yourself wearing black clothes as a way of appearing slimmer, then you can add a bit of colour to your outfit with a simple but bright scarf. There are many scarves that are versatile in how they wrap around your neck so make sure you grab a few different styles to match your variety of outfits.






Fashion Earrings

Every one needs a collection of throw away earrings that the can change every now and again depending on the outfit. There are a wide selection of fashion earrings, from coloured studs, to hooped earrings, that are sure to match all your outfits. It is always nice to have that special pair of earrings you keep for special occasions.






A collection of bags

Make sure that you have a staple handbag that is your main bag as well as a collection of fashion bags that you can mix and match with your outfits depending on the occasion.






Hair accessories

From hairbands, to clips, to bobbles and hair pins, make sure you have a collection of accessories so you can chop and change your hair style as and when you please. Your hair style can change your appearance dramatically so make sure you have all the necessary tools to re-create the style you want.






A staple coat

Everyone needs a lightweight coat for the summer and a warm, thick cosy jacket in the winter. Neutral colours always work well as you can wear them year after year without the coat going out of date.

A Stunning Sterling Silver Handbag Charm from AllCharms.co.uk

Bracelets and necklaces

Make sure you have a wide collection of fashion bracelets and necklaces in your collection to match your different outfits. A simple bracelet can finish off an outfit or a brightly coloured necklace can give colour and life to your outfit. Like with the earrings it is always nice to have a couple of staple bracelets and necklaces that you keep for special occasions. One of the most versatile types of bracelets is the charm bracelet which allows you to recreate any style you want through its individual charms. Collecting the charms can be fun and will build up over the years as family and friends buy them for your birthday and Christmas gifts.

Each charm represents a part of your life which you can share with others. To purchase a charm braceletfor your friend or loved one, visit AllCharms.co.uk today.

Just as washing clothes in the right temperature and with the right colours will help maintain an item of clothing, so does watching what you do with your sterling silver jewellery. Silver jewellery will always tarnish this is because there is sulphur in the air and this sulphur reacts with silver and gives a compound called silver sulphide or as we know it tarnishing which can be recognised as black or brown colours on our silver jewellery.

By using a simple silver cloth this has tarnish resistant’s in it that will remove all traces of tarnish by simply buffing the piece of jewellery. However by wearing your piece of jewellery in places such as the swimming pool, hot tub or when using household cleaning products for instance bleach, there is a chemical in bleach called chlorine which is also found in swimming pools too.  The chlorine will actually dissolve the metal and change the colour of it and will often take off finish on the piece of jewellery that naturally protects it from tarnishing 24/7.

What you will notice with items that have become tarnish is because they have been left unworn for a while.  It often does not happen with jewellery that you are wear consistently over a few days. There is actually something within the sea air that causes silver to blacken too.  What some people have found that when they are at home their charm bracelet is fine, once they have travelled to work and been there all day, there will actually be a dark ring left around there wrist and their bracelet has also become discoloured.  So there will be higher particles of sulphur in the air at work that do react with jewellery and unfortunately we cannot stop them.

What we can do is prevent wearing our jewellery in areas that will actually discolour our item permanently that we may never get the original look and shine back period.  Refrain from wearing jewellery in the places mentioned above and make sure you invest in a good silver polishing cloth and take care of your jewellery.

This may be an obvious answer but we are looking at all areas of buying from an official stockist.  On most online retailers and high street retailers they are now putting on display “Official Stockist”.  The word official can be related to words such as authorised, certified, allowed and approved. It is not always an easy process for any shop owner to become an official stockist either.  When looking at brands such as Pandora, nomination and lovelinks they all follows similar criteria’s, it is all about a process of elimination.

They like to first establish who the retailer is, what other brands they sell and will their brand actually sell well in their shop or not.  Certain shops will bring down the value of a brand.  For example if you saw the range of Pandora in a Claire’s shop you may wonder why it was so highly priced compared to the other accessories they sell in there.  Now look at Pandora compared to a Tiffany collection of jewellery you would think, Pandora was a perfect brand that is worth the money you are spending on it and would make the perfect gift.  It is so important for them to find the right locations to sell their stock in.

So now they know their products are going to sell well they make sure their brand is given the space they require for it to shine within a shop.  If you had a lot of competitive brands it would detract away from the products you really want to emphasise on.

Every authorised retailer has to follow company standards of their product should be sold and pricing.  So when looking online for example a nomination bracelet you may notice on one site it will say £5 and on another it may be £1.50 this should ring alarm bells that maybe the company who is selling the item at £1.50 is not authorised.  Every nomination stockists will be check regularly by mystery shoppers on their pricing and if they are not adhering to company policies will in-fact have the brand removed from all locations they sell it.  This is something Pandora have already started doing within all their shops and closing down any unauthorised online shops.

Why is it important to pay the correct price, if you can get it cheaper elsewhere? Every piece of jewellery that is a genuine piece of jewellery and it does not have to be jewellery it could be clothing by Topshop for example, it all has the company name on it therefore they will always go out of their way to make sure their customer is satisfied.  You have the added piece of mind that you have bought into a contract with that company and should the item become faulty you have a right to exchange the item and the company will provide this service.  Buying from a reputable company also means that they too have had to have checks that they are adhering to the laws of buying and selling.

A lot of the time if you were to by a item that was indeed a fake you are not bound by any terms so even though it may appear cheaper at first it may not always be cheaper in the long run.  To ensure the quality of the brand and that you are indeed buying the real deal always look for an official stockist.

A lot of shops are now putting up signs with official stockist with a ©at the end and to know you are actually dealing with an official stockist always look at their branded displays and point of sale information.  Is it in line with others you have seen or does it look out of date? Always do a quick check first and this is where the internet is great as it will not take more than 5 minutes.

Most branded companies do actually have their own websites too, even though you may not be able to buy direct from the company they will have a list of all their shops that are stockists, these have all met the company standards and have been authorised to sell their brand. To check stockists in Google simply type the brand whatever the name is followed by stockist example lovelinks stockists

Don’t be caught out if at all you are unsure or actually are questioning the quality of the product you have bought contact the company directly they have teams that deal with enquiries such as this.  No one really has money to throw away so spend it in the right places.

We all have some form of jewellery; those necklaces, bracelets and earrings you have locked away in that little wooden box, but where does the gold and silver we make them out of come from? Not mining I don’t meant that, I mean how did it get in the ground in the first place?

Well, let me fill you in, it’s all those stars in the sky. Here’s why, when a star is burning it burns hydrogen, the most abundant element in the entire universe, after burning this hydrogen it becomes helium and so on until all that’s used up and until all that is left is iron. Now some stars are huge, and I mean very, very huge. After this they then become supernova and explode scattering metal dust (which contains the heavy gold and silver) across space until it is trapped by gravity such as our solar system, it isn’t until then, it becomes part of that solar system.

Gold is found in ores made up of rock with very small or microscopic particles of gold. This gold ore is often found together with quartz or sulphide minerals such as Fool’s Gold, which is a pyrite. Gold tends to be found with silver in a gold-silver alloy we then take the gold out of these ores and make our conventional sterling silver jewellery and gold jewellery. Gold and silver have been sought after since the Bronze Age in 2 millennia BC, clearly there’s something about these metals that speaks to us and calls for us.

We all know that next within the creation of such amazing jewellery that we can call our own, such as lovelinks bracelets. This collection of jewellery incorporates both gold and silver with combinations of cubic zirconia and murano glass charms. They’ve captured that primal instinct we developed from the Bronze Age in a modern interpretation of charms that we can collect. So next time you receive a piece of jewellery or decide to treat yourself don’t forget that you now own a bit of star that could have travelled millions and millions of miles from the other side of the universe, just for you!

Some colours come in fashion and everyone wants to have that colour and then a few months later it’s on to the next colour.  Colour affects everything the hair colour we have, to the colours of clothes we wear, to the accessories we have, the painted colours of our walls in our house, to the plates we eat off, everything is about colour.  So trying to find a colour that will always keep you up-to-date that will never go out of fashion that truly is timeless is great.

This year has seen pastel colours and then some vibrant colours be extremely popular but colours that will never go out of fashion are white and blue and these two colours can be accessorised so well too. They offer a fresh look consistently and whether furnishing a home or an outfit there will be no need to change from this colour as they will always be around.

When attaining a piece of jewellery that will be ultimately timeless too lovelinks has already got it covered.  Their range of murano glass charms means that even on your bracelet the pastel colour of blue and the colour of white will never go out of fashion.  We know not every woman prefers blue so maybe experiment with a few pastel colours pinks, yellow etc. However we are sure that once you have seen lovelinks subtle collections with the pale blue and white you would love it.

It is great that there are a few timeless colours out there and these can be the background for the colour of the month to be accessorised with it. When looking at these two colours we can see why a lot of women are drawn to them, they are clean and fresh and simple but not too overpowering.  They are colours that remind you of peace and tranquillity and there has been study at great length of colours and what moods they promote.  When looking into the colour white it is believed it promotes purity in any design it is used in, whilst blue is believed to relax, soothe and inspire so what great colours to have around you all the time.

Every year during the month of August thousands of students find out if they have passed their all important exams.  It can be an extremely difficult time for some especially if they did not quite get the result they were hoping for and what they thought they were going to do might not be the case.  For some it can mean and list of endless opportunities and all doors are opened.  Whatever the case it should be a supportive time and a time of reflection of what they have achieved and where they are going.

A way of reminding a person of what they have achieved and the journey they took to get there can be with a simple charm, there are jewellery ranges for both men and women so neither need feel left out.  Each range whether it be blog jewellery or lovelinks jewellery have charms such as, good luck, well done, a little owl for knowledge and a graduation cap.  Buying something like this can be very sentimental and something they can keep forever and it shows that you are proud of their achievement no matter what the outcome.

Should you be the person receiving the results and you are not sure who you can speak to with regards what to do now; there are many connexions advice centres in local towns and cities.  Maybe you are the parent of a young person and not sure how you can support your child now, local councils have services to help and assist or even go to your local connexions centre with your child and speak so someone who will be able to help you on the next stages to take.