“Pandora is like Desigual, I never thought I’d wear one”: the charm manufacturer that has become a global giant is seducing French women
While its charm bracelet, launched in 2000, is a worldwide success, the Danish brand now wants to appeal to a more demanding public, particularly in France, with collections with particularly successful, clean lines.
"For me, Pandora is like Desigual, I never thought I'd wear one one day," Lisa recently replied to her friends, who didn't believe it was the brand of her gold rings . "For them, only teenage girls went to Pandora to buy charm bracelets," explains the 31-year-old Parisian, who has changed her view of the brand since seeing its advertising film worthy of the supermodel era: polished, very 1990s aesthetic by Fabien Baron (the artistic director of Calvin Klein ads with Kate Moss ), choice casting (actresses Winona Ryder, Pamela Anderson , models Karen Elson, Vittoria Ceretti) and highly desirable jewelry, whether minimalist hoop earrings , designer cuffs and even the famous charms...
It takes a certain budget to afford such a generic. That's good, " Pandora is three pieces of jewelry sold per second worldwide, a turnover of 4.25 billion euros in 2024 (the fourth largest after Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels, editor's note) , 6,800 points of sale in 100 countries and nearly 900 million visitors each year ," proudly lists Berta de Pablos-Barbier, its marketing director. But above all, it is a brand of know-how, whose history is unjustly unknown. "
An authentic story that takes us back to 1982, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to the long tradition of goldsmithing and design. Under the influence of the master of the genre Georg Jensen, the thirty-something couple Per and Winnie Enevoldsen decided to apply this craft to popular jewelry. " They found jewelry dull, conventional, elitist and wanted a brand that stood out for its design and low prices, favoring silver creations ," continues Berta de Pablos-Barbier. During a trip to Thailand, they discovered local handmade work on small, meticulous pieces and established their workshops there in 1989. " The brand, then called Populair Smykker ("jewelry for everyone"), was a hit.
In 2000, Per and Winnie had the idea of the century: a bracelet like a cable, on which charms symbolizing each stage of life could be hung. " Hearts, animals, fruits and vegetables, initials, etc., at 19 euros each," continues the manager. "Today, the concept seems banal, even though, even in Place Vendôme, the great jewelers offer their charms, but, at the time, the idea was revolutionary. " At the Copenhagen headquarters, the teams were looking for a name for this bracelet. It is said that the cleaning lady came up with the idea of Pandora , in reference to the first woman, created by Zeus, who embodies all the talents, charms and passions. "They liked her idea so much that they not only named the jewel that, but also renamed their brand!"
Since 2010, Pandora has been listed on the stock exchange and supplies its 6,800 points of sale in around a hundred countries around the world. "Our stores are designed to be welcoming, friendly, there are no doormen!" Particularly popular are the collector's editions co-signed with Disney (2016), Harry Potter and the Keith Haring Foundation (2022) which are finished and lacquered, like the rest, by hand by artisans in Bangkok. " The United States, the United Kingdom and Italy, our three main markets outside Denmark, are particularly fond of our charms. On the other hand, France, a luxury country where the culture of traditional jewelry is deeply rooted, is harder to convince ," continues the Spaniard based in Denmark, who even admits to changing her jewelry when she goes to Paris. Today, we want to show our expertise beyond charms through pendants, pearl necklaces, and medallion chains.
In 2021, the brand introduced synthetic diamonds into its collections, and since last year, it has used exclusively recycled gold and silver. " To gain in preciousness, but remain consistent with our values as a brand committed to the planet, which is a purchasing criterion for the younger generations, " insists Berta de Pablos-Barbier. Pandora's image is changing profoundly. In fact, when I surveyed my 17-year-old daughter before accepting this position last October, she told me that charms were before! That now it was rings, which they give each other and accumulate between friends. "
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