I come bearing an unexpected bit of news today, with a look at the Shining Crown charm, a surprise addition to Pandora’s Winter 2017 line-up! This bead is exclusive to China and only available as a gift with purchase, making it a hard-to-find little charm from the get-go.

Read on for more details! :)


Pandora Shining Crown Chinese Exclusive charm

The Shining Crown is a double-sided crown design, encrusted with that signature Pandora sparkle.

pandora china exclusive

It‘s available as a gift with purchase exclusively in China:

    • From December 18-25, spend 1980 yuan either in store or online, and receive the Shining Crown charm as your free gift

The promotion is only running until Christmas Dayso you have such a short window of time in which to pick this bead up, too. The spend equates to about £225 or $300 USD, so it’s not exactly an easy ask either!

The crown represents Beauty, Honour and Pride, with each quality written along the rim of the charm.


My Comment

Country exclusives are usually quite fun to track down – this one, however, is a bit too tricky even for me! Put together the high spend and the fact that I don’t have any contacts in China, and I’m pretty much out of the running for this one. ??

The charm is a bit sparkly, but I do like the design. The plain CZ is easily stylable, and the values written around it are fun. It strikes me as a good charm to represent a beauty pagent or something, haha!

What do you think of this latest exclusive? Are you one of the lucky few who has managed to obtain one?

43 Comments on Preview: Pandora China Exclusive Shining Crown charm

    • Do you think so? The Chinese exclusive two-tone heart from earlier this year hasn’t made it out anywhere else yet, so I’m not sure!

  1. Not available to me either but I don’t really like the look of it from the picture anyway. It might be awkward on a bracelet next to other charms. Maybe solo? Or on a necklace? The exclusivity is pretty fun though.

    • Yeah, it would be nice on a bangle, I think. ButI don’t think it would be too awkward to style on a bracelet when it come down to it. Pop it next to a murano or a clip perhaps..

  2. This is no meaning to get this crown, Chinese don’t have crown in history. I don’t known why Pandora designed this crown for, just feel funny.

    • I don’t know that they necessarily designed it with a Chinese theme in mind, it’s more like a little bonus exclusive like the previous China exclusive from the Autumn 2015 collection – the two-ton e heart. It’s not like a CNY charm or anything

  3. Hmmm…on the fence on this one. I think, as someone else stated, it would be better suited as a stand alone charm.
    Also, quite a pricey spend for the GWP.
    But, as I’m in the US, no worries about being tempted lol.

    • Yes, it’s such a high spend! It’s tempting to try and get it, as I do love a good exclusive, but I just can’t justify it especially at Christmas time haha!

    • Think you have got it there. Does not refelct Chinese ethous to life to my mind, may be aimed at younger girls. Price base very high ? not sure It will tempt many. Wait for Rue La La if you want it. But I really am concerned, where does this idea come from ??? I hope it is my age that means I am missing some thing, a real left wing thought

    • I would love that to be true! But the Crane was never advertised as a world exclusive and it made it out to a variety of countries originally… fingers crossed though eh! ;)

  4. I think it’s a Fengguan. A head gear worn by noblewomen during the Ming Dynasty. Maybe some Chinese Pandora collectors could explain more about the meaning of this charm…Being an Asian, I would love to get one but I’m in NA plus I think the spend is too high.
    Thank you again for the info. Happy holidays to you and your family.! ??

    • The spend is too high for me too! But if it ever gets released elsewhere, I’ll definitely be on the hunt for it. Happy holidays to you and yours too, and thanks for commenting! <3

  5. When will the Boxing Day be available for Australia as I was all the items being retired will be on sale Boxing Day to make way for new designs in the new year.

  6. Hi Ellie!

    If u need it let me know! I can help you with it! But the spendings is too high in my opinion and the charm doesn’t look like a must have for me! So I’m passing! XD! Also, They are saying that it’s limited to 900 pieces (online I think)! Thanks for informing us about the promo!

    <3 Cindy

    • Aw, thank you Cindy! I did have a good think about it but I just can’t justify it. As you say, the spend is so high! But thank you for offering, and for the extra info as well. I wish they’d do truly limited exclusives like this in more countries. It would be fun (although expensive) if all regions got their own.

  7. Hi Ellie,

    The Fairytale Fish was very whimisical and eventhough it meant purchasing the bracelet the price wasn’t insane. I don’t see this Chinese GWP charm as a must have. The cultural significance explained by LApandora is interesting and I am curious to learn more. I suspect if any of these do make it to eBay they will be pretty pricey, given the initial spend and limited quality. As much as I like collecting country exclusives, I can take a pass on this one.
    The preview is greatly appreciated. It is nice to see what Pandora creates for other countries, and it is also very educational.

    Cheers!
    Lisa K

    • Hi Lisa! I know, this one is just a bit too exclusive :( if it were timed even a little bit differently as well I’d have been a bit more tempted. Right now, I’ve spent a lot on presents and want to keep some pennies aside for the sales, so I really can’t justify it right now.

      You are very welcome, Lisa, and thank you for commenting! :)

  8. Hi Ellie!

    When I started collecting Pandora, I said no bows or crowns. At my age I didn’t think I could pull off either one. I since have added the bow bangle and the matching clips to my collection. Subtle enough, I told myself. Never say never. Then there was my son’s childhood bracelet, with the lion with the crown to represent Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia. Never say never. That purchase morphed into the frog with the crown to go with my regular frog, cause every girl knows to find your handsome prince you have to kiss a lot of toads!!! Never say never…

    This charm is absolutely stunning. I am in the a United States, so the odds of pulling this off are slim to none, given the limited quantities and the narrow window of time for acquisition. But if one ever ended up on Rue La La? Never say never…

    Stop working and go enjoy your holiday!

    Thanks for the teaser. May your Holidays be magical and your New Year Be “crowned” with prosperity, happiness, joy, and laughter.

    • Aha, Deborah, I so know that feeling! When I first started collecting (way back when), there were so many rules I had. I’ll never start a second bracelet! -> I’ll never start a third bracelet! -> Well, I’ll never do a THEMED bracelet! -> I’ll never do a Christmas bracelet -> I’ll never do a THIRD Christmas bracelet….

      and so it goes on…! Every good intention cheerfully smashed at some point along the way, haha.

      I really like this one as well. I think it’s pretty and fancy and a little bit fun. And I’d be tempted if this was just able to purchase as a limited edition bead for the holidays. Maybe it’ll make it out in other regions, but I’d be surprised seeing as Pandora’s advertising specifically says that it’s a ‘world exclusive’ and only 900 have been made… it would be rather cheeky if they then released it elsewhere. Normally they leave the description a bit vague to allow them to release it elsewhere, but there’s not much wiggle room!

      Haha, thanks, Deborah! Hope you have an absolutely wonderful holiday and I look forward to more comments from you in the new year <3

  9. It doesn’t look like a Fengguan at all. Pandora should write Chinese on it not English, funny anyway. Pandora just want collector spend their money.

  10. This is nothing really like a classic Fengguan, but they may be going abstract on it. I have seen pictures of tall Fengguan, a little different from the head-hugging style, but I don’t know how authentic that tall style is. It’s important to be culturally authentic, or you risk giving offense where you meant to give homage. But I’m sure Pandora has Chinese designers who know what’s what in that culture. As for the design itself, it’s tacky, which is offensive all on its own. Lol.

    • Hi Michele,

      I see how offended you are by this, and rightfully so. I’m really appalled that pandora could go so wrong when they could have made something authentic and nice.

      • On the Chinese translation above, it only said is a Royal Crown, with 3 Chinese translations to explain the Beauty, Honor & Pride. Didn’t mention this Crown is from Chinese anceient culture at all, this is just a regular Royal Crown, nothing relate to Chinese. I just want make it clear, don’t want Pandora collector think this is a Chinese Crown.

      • I think it’s just a fun little bonus charm for the Chinese market, like previous Asian exclusives such as the pave pear or the Complete my Heart jigsaw, or the two-tone heart earlier this year, which was a China exclusive design. Pandora do the CNY-themed beads every year and come up with some wonderful designs!

    • I don’t think Pandora have said in their advertising that it’s a Chinese symbol :) just a fancy crown haha! :)

    • If it was just sold on its own as a regular limited edition or even offered as a gift for a slightly smaller spend, i think I’d put in the effort and try and get one! But it’s just too much. #pandoraproblems ?

  11. I managed to get one, it was even hard to find in China. I really appreciate how Pandora did not just “steal” the design from an already-existing charm and adding few new details to it like it always does with exclusive charms, this one is a brand-new design I have not previously seen (the closet to it would probably be the crown on the little prince).

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