Today’s review dips back into the Pandora Autumn 2017 collection, with a look at one of our most recent country-exclusive beads – the Arabic Love charm. This elegant openwork continues Pandora’s series of Arabian beads, following from the much-loved Camel and Arabian Coffee Pot charms, both of which are also featured in this review. ^^

This latest bead came out with the Pandora Autumn 2017 collection, but only in the UAE. I got mine from Dubai with the help of a kind Pandora collector there. I wrote this review a little while ago but it kept being pushed back due to Christmas content and then unexpected sneak peeks. ^^

Read on now for some close-up shots and styling inspiration!


Pandora Arabic Love charm review

The charm is an openwork design, offering the same pattern on both sides – the word love is its its centre. It has a beautifully bright silver finish, with a heart pattern haloing around the central Arabic script.

The charm is pretty true to the stock image, but as is usual it’s prettier and more striking in person. Its all-silver design makes it a relatively affordable option, priced at 145 AED (around  £30 / $40 USD at the time of writing), too.

The Arabian Coffee Pot came out two years ago in Autumn 2015, and was an instant hit with fans, who fell in love with its intricate detailing and unique concept. This charm is a follow-up to that one in many ways but for me it lacks the richness of design. The Arabic love motif is only a very minor twist on its button-style design and heart detailing, which can be seen throughout Pandora’s collections. It’s pretty, but not that different to their regular charms, and so hasn’t attracted the same attention from collectors as the Coffee Pot.

On the other hand, this does make it more wearable, I guess, and more easily stylable. To look at, the brightness of the silver is also attractive in comparison to the heavily oxidised look of the Dallah charm. The sides of the charm are simple polished silver, with the classic S925 ALE hallmarks tamped on one side. It’s not threaded.

Styling

My first styling mixes the charm in with other decorative beads that bring out and complement its heart patterning – the Mother’s Day 2015 bangle, the Love of my Life clip in Rose, and the Radiant Hearts in blush.

The Pandora Rose collection looks so stunning with blush tones, and the shininess of the silver Arabic charm is really attractive against the warm tones of the other charms.

However, I have of course decided to put this with my other Arabian beads! This was my bracelet as it stood – it’s one of my favourite designs, and I love that it branches out a little culturally from other themes I’ve done.

The new charm slotted in really nicely, and gives the overall design a more finished look, I think. <3 The blush beads also look pretty against the brown leather.

This is as full as I would want to make this bracelet – if I were to add any other charms to this design, I think I’d have to move it off the leather.


Conclusion

It’s always fun to hunt down Pandora’s country exclusives, and I’m glad to have found this one – it seemed the perfect way to round off my Arabian leather design, which has always seemed a little unbalanced with four beads on it. I do feel like its more generic design reflects an overall trend in Pandora’s new collections, a loss of the inspiration that went into the wonderful Camel and Dallah beads, but it’s pretty nevertheless. And, of course, the Chinese New Year beads remain as creative as ever!

The other exclusive charm that came out recently was this little limited edition two-tone beauty, which was exclusive to China, I believe. I was taking my break from both blogging and charm collecting when this was available in the autumn, and I missed it, but I do regret not getting it when it was around!

Pandora Autumn 2017 two-tone heart lock Chinese exclusive

There was also a sparking crown charm just before Christmas, but it was a GWP and the spend was just so high!

What do you think of this charm? Do you like to collect country exclusives?

106 Comments on Review: Arabic Love exclusive charm from Pandora Autumn 2017

  1. Hi Ellie great post I love looking at the different exclusives but I get really frustrated when I can’t get them lol the uk doesn’t get many of the exclusive. I would love the panda and the chinease dragon one day there enamel work looks amazing and the design are so different and unique.

    • Hi Nicola! It’s true, we do get fewer than we used to… we used to get the CNY beads up until last year, I think! I got the Panda over Christmas and it is so cute :D lovely use of enamel!

  2. So glad to see your post in my inbox! It is freezing with snow on the ground and ice to come on Monday on the east coast of the US. I love to see how you style your bracelets, it makes me almost want to collect other charms than Disney – but I think that could be alot of trouble :)!! Being new and still trying to figure out how Pandora operates – sales, country exclusives, etc. I have to say exclusives some what bother me. I think all the charms should be available to everyone at the same time around the world. Just because I may never make it to China doesn’t mean I don’t participate in Chinese New Year or know a friend who that might be part of her family’s heritage and would want to give it to her as a gift. And back to the Disney charms. Every time I go to DW I hear different languages spoken and play a game with my husband of guessing where the people are from. So why should they not have access to the charms once they get home? Maybe that is more of a Disney decision that Pandora. And I can’t tell you how many times I have been on a trip and wished I would have picked this or that up. One more thing why don’t they sell jewelry boxes? That to me seems like a cash cow. Sorry about the ramble too much time on my hands;). Back to your bracelet I love the coffee pot very pretty! See, now that would be fun to give to my friends who love coffee! Oh, reading over your tutorials I ordered clips! Thanks so much for the info.

    • Heather I know what u mean about the jewelry boxes.i have a Pandora pink leather box with lift out tray that is waay too small.lol.I would love a very large box designed to hold 12-15 bracelets or more so a collector could grow into it.by the time you have silver,leather,bangles etc u need more space.maybe Pandora is listening :)

      • I completely agree that Pandora could sell many of their jewelry boxes and I would purchase them as I bought from online a never used, mint condition Pandora jewelry box that must been gift with purchase item. It is three lift out trays with bottom tray sectioned into mini compartments to hold 18ish individual charms, 2nd tray three compartments with lift out cushions for bracelets and top tray divided into 3 horizontal sections for bracelets. All trays felt lined and box is a tan suede. It is already filled up. I would like Pandora to start selling larger jewellery boxes similar to the one I have as now trying to figure out other options for my quickly expanding collection.

        • They were for sale in Australia before Christmas. They probably still are. Two sizes. I might they were $79 and $119.

        • The jewellery boxes only seem to be available here in the UK around Christmas, they don’t have stock any other time of year.

    • You can buy Stackers jewelry boxes on Amazon, and the same concept in other brands, Umbra, for example. Or if you’re the handy type, build your own. :-D

        • I have some too, they’re awesome, and not overpriced for the product you get. For jewelry now though, I use the box my husband built for me based on Stackers; mahogany, 18x15x12 inches, three tiers, two drawers and the top lifts, enormous. I’m sure I’ll never fill it, though he expects me to. Lol.

    • Oh no, hope you’ve managed to stay warm Heather! :) How fun that you just collect the Disney beads! I understand why you might want to set limits on your collection… I broke all my rules a long time ago and my collection has just grown to silly amounts now haha!

      I understand you feel about the exclusives. I can understand why they might not want to release specific charms in regions where there won’t be the same interest from a commercial point of view, but I think it would be fun if they made a certain amount of each exclusive charm to each region on the eStore, as I think someone else suggested. That way dedicated collectors and people with a specific interest could get them, but they wouldn’t be widely released :)

      Really glad you enjoyed the review Heather ,and thanks for commenting! <3 Enjoy your new clips!

  3. Greetings Ms. Ellie, I really like the Teapot Charm it’s quite the charm next to the the original teapot that Pandora put out a couple of years ago. As always I will go to the nearest Pandora store for the Arabic Teapot Charm. Happy Holidays as always.

    • Hi Karen! unfortunately the Arabic coffee pot is only available in certain countries, but it is such a beautiful bead :)

  4. I love your Arabian design, it is just right on the leather bracelet! I managed to get the coffee pot with a bit of difficulty but it is one of my favourite charms and represents all I love most about Pandora – it is delicate, detailed and quirky, and you can see the craftsmanship that has gone into it. The new Charm is very pretty and I think I would get it if it was available here, but as you say it is more generic than the coffee pot, and not as special!

    • Thanks so much, Debbie! I was lucky when I got my Coffee Pot – in the week or so after it was released, an Irish retailer had stock of them and were selling them for 29 euros :) back in the day, Ireland often seemed to get some charms that were released in Europe but not the UK. The new charm is pretty and was perfect for finishing off my design but as you say, it’s nowhere near as interesting as the original Dallah bead!

    • Erm, I paid about £30 I think the new Arabic Love charm (a lady got it for me from Dubai) but I’m not sure on what the Dallah would go for these days. Its RRP was about 29 euros / £25.

      • Mora Pandora, could you please tell me where I can get the Arab Love charm ? I have arab blood in me , and I would love to put this on a bracelet , SHOKRAN (Thank you)

  5. I have my Arabian coffee pot on my fairytale bracelet, pretending it’s from Aladdin. ?. I wont go for this new exclusive because I don’t like the button charms. I’m with you and I would love the Chinese crown but at the moment it’s just too expensive.

      • If you mean the coffee pot, I’m afraid I don’t remember. I don’t think it was much though. Just the usual silver price.

    • Aw, that’s a great use of the charm! I once it put it in an Arabian nights theme for review, too. ^^ There are occasional button charm designs that jump out at me and that I like, but I find them a bit generic overall as well. :)

  6. Hi Ellie!

    Your bracelet styling is awesome! I haven’t put my blush with the brown leather, choosing instead to use the oxidized silver bracelet and necklace for my blush collection. However, I haven’t started to collect the Rose gold charms with the blush colors. I might just have to dip a toe into that pool now that I see how stunning it is with the brown. I’m crediting/blaming you for this one! Lol!

    I like the Arabian coffee pot but have yet to acquire it. I purchased the camel on Rue to go with my religious themed Christmas bracelet. It sits next to the magi charm.

    I’m like you, the new charm isn’t as cool as the coffee pot, but it’s addition does work to balance your bracelet.

    I’ll probably pass on these charms for the time being, as my New Years resolutions included finishing up the rest of my bracelets before starting a new one. I’m really close to finishing everything up so I can start a new design upon the release of the Spring collection.

    Thanks for the review and the peek at your bracelet.

    • Hi Deborah! Yay, thank you :D Glad to hear that it’s inspired you, whether that’s a good thing or bad thing lol! I did consider moving it from the brown leather to the smooth Rose bracelet, as Rose and blush tones look so nice together, but in the end I kept it as it was. The brown is really soft and pretty with the blush :)

      That’s a great use for the Camel! I struggled to use it before I thought of putting it on an Arabian design, but that’s another lovely way to style it.

      I’ve almost finished all my WIPs! I have a pinky/purply oxidised design that’s just waiting on my Australia haul, and then it’s just my Asian and Halloween bracelets, which I’m adding to gradually each year. So it’ll be on the spring collection if I start anything else!

      Thanks for commenting Deborah! :)

  7. I do not like country exclusives!! I’m still upset about the wonderful Russian fish that I couldn’t have. Pandora seems to think we have no imagination and can’t appreciate anything outside our own bailiwick.

    Moving on…The camel is actually one of my favorites. I have two camels on my “Epiphany/Mardi Gras” bracelet, along with the Holy Family, Three Kings, Dove, crowns, Star clips and yellow, green and purple muranos and pave charms. Unfortunately, I ran out of room for any more camels, so one of the kings is just going to have to walk!

    • Aw, they can be frustrating. Normally I manage to track them down, but charms such as the recent Shining Crown etc are just too tricky even for me! With the culturally inspired ones, I imagine many of them genuinely don’t sell in certain regions and that it’s primarily business considerations that go into such decisions.

      The camel is adorable! Such a pretty and detailed bead. That sounds like a lovely bracelet, I love green and purple together :D Maybe one of the kings could share a camel lol!

  8. Nice bracelet design; your new charm fits perfectly into it. One more blush colored charm next the the camel would be beautiful. I love the blush on the brown too!

    I want the arabian coffee pot so badly but I’m afraid if I bought it online it won’t be authentic and I’ve wasted my money. Maybe one day it will be available to all..! The camel is one of my favorites. He has been on my special moments bracelet to represent going to the zoo. He’s been on my fairy tale bracelet to represent Aladdin. And eventually I would like to add him to a Christmas bracelet. Maybe I need another camel….haha.

    • Thank you, Sarah! :) Yes, one more blush charm would work well… three silvers and three blush charms! I’ll keep an eye out should one ever come up. I do like it as it is though.

      I hope that you find your coffee pot one day! The camel is a very beautiful bead in its own right though, I like that he’s trucked around a few of your bracelet designs. You wouldn’t think he was the most versatile of charms but I guess you’d be surprised! ^^

  9. Hi Ellie,

    I’m so glad you reviewed this charm. You are right the design is very subtle compared to the Dallah Coffee Pot charm. I had the chance to get the Arabic Love charm in the fall and almost past on it because of the button design, but thought it would look nice on my necklace for Valentines. You have given me some lovely ideas on how to style this charm. I was surprised you didn’t reserect you original Arabian Night design, one of my all time favorites. But your new Arabian themed leather version is really well done. I was wearing this charm on my necklace. I love it paired with the blush murano,

    The sparkling crown GWP was attached to an insanely high spend and not within my budget either. Rather devote my budget to the recent 40% sale.

    Cheers!
    Lisa K.

    Cheers

    • Hi Lisa! Haha, well remembered :) The Arabian night design was only ever put together for review, I’ve never had it permanently together as a bracelet. I didn’t bring it back again for this review as I felt like I had done it rather recently… but yes, it would be great on that design too!

      I know, I felt the same about the Crown. If it had just been on sale for a week as a charm to buy, I’d have been tempted. but the spend was just not feasible – and imagine if it got lost in the post or something! ?

      Thanks for commenting! :)

  10. Hi Ellie, your brown leather bracelet with the blush glass is stunning. I personally use my blush murano with rose gold as the center piece. I can’t believe Pandora has retired it. Such a beautiful charm. I was tempted to get another during recent sale but held back. Not sure if i will regret it in the future. ?

    • Thank you so much :D blush and Rose looks beautiful together too, so I’m sure your bracelet looks wonderful too. I was surprised to see that it had been retired as well, it’s such a soft colour that you think it would easily blend into a lot of people’s bracelet designs!

        • Oh yes. The stone in the middle of dahlia charm is blush pink as well. Never thought of putting them together before. Thanks for your idea Deborah.

      • And clips are impossible to wear on double or triple, they’re all far too heavy. I think Pandora needs some smaller, lighter clips, or they need slide-on stoppers to use on smooth bracelets. All bracelets should be smooth. The screws are ugly and really make a stack look awful. Last week I donated three classic Pandora bracelets to a thrift shop. I just can’t stand the screws anymore.

    • Oh no, I need the screws! ^^ I hate charms swivelling straight off when you open the bracelet. I do like single leathers though!

      • The screws are good when your style hits exactly. Sometimes I have to add spacers just to make the spacing work. It can be a challenge hen you are doing TT. The Smooth Clasp works great when you add clips at each end. Either the silicone lined ones, or the traditional ones with a silicone piece inside. Of course, if the bracelet is full you don’t need a silicone piece. ?

  11. Hi Ellie! I think the Arabic Love bead is a great final bead for your Arabian design. Generally, I’m not a fan of button style beads, but I think this one is nice. I like the simple design and smooth silver around the edges.

    I like the country exclusive designs, but I don’t like that they are sold only in certain markets. I think all the e-stores should stock a small quantity of the country exclusive designs. (For example, last fall I was able to buy the Asian Sunny Doll from the US e-store). If Pandora offered the country exclusives at the e-stores, I’d like them much better!

    • Hi Judy! Thanks, I’m not generally keen on button-style beads either, but I loved the intricate heart pattern on this one :)

      That’s a really great idea! I’m sure they’d drum up a lot of interest if they did a fun little advertising campaign for each exclusive online release.

  12. Hello Ellie,

    Thanks for reviewing the Arabic Love charm and for sharing your lovely bracelet designs! This charm didn’t grab my attention like the coffee pot, but it completes your design nicely. I think, out of all country exclusives, the coffee pot is my absolute favorite…such intricate details only Pandora can capture. I also love that you chose the blush pink charms for your designs. One of my favorite colors Pandora has done to date.

    Btw, thanks for the January news update! Have a lovely weekend!!!

    • Hi Emily! Oh, I know, the Coffee Pot is one of my very favourite Pandora designs ever :) so culturally rich, and beautifully executed. The use of oxidised detailing is perfect! Glad you liked the bracelet designs and thank you for commenting <3 hope you're enjoying the weekend!

  13. Beautiful stylings as always ?. Ellie, your review couldn’t have come in on a more suitable day. Today we have celebrated the Three Kings’ Day and despite the arduos work of opening presents ?, eating the traditional goodies and lolling lazily in front of the tv, cosy and well wrapped in my fleece, furry fave blanket while it was pouring mercilessly outside, I had time to recall some moments from childhood, when we had leave water (and maybe bread?) for the camels. Or rather, my mother was suppossed to do that for us because we had to go to bed early. And the parade of course. In my town the Kings made their appearance on huge carts accompanjed by their pages and so on but the camels were never to be seen because they were “having a rest”. After all the poor creatures had came all the way from the “Orient”, crossing the desert and carrying the kings and the toys for “all children in the world”!!! ?? Go figure! ? Your review has made me smile.
    Pandora should allowed their customers to have access to country exclusives. I’m not usually interested in those beads but there are many ladies who are. You can be a fan of a certain culture or you may want a charm because it reminds you of something. Or just because you simply like it.
    Thanks for sharing.

    • When we had “to” leave water on the windowsills
      PS. Forgot to mention that they left a new Pandora bracelet among my presents ?.

    • I loved reading your post. Where are you that you celebrate three kings day? I don’t know anyone who does that.

    • Hi Marie,

      Your comment regarding Three Kings’ Day piqued my interest, so I googled to learn more! Does your family celebrate with the traditional Roscon de Reyes bread? If so, did you find baby Jesus?! I’m full of questions, lol. Did you leave your shoes out to receive your gifts? And…did you leave water and bread for the camels? Thank you for a very interesting comment. Glad you’ve enjoyed the day. I’ll think of you at this time each year from now on!

      • Mine too. I did know a bit though. I knew the kings took 12 days to travel to Jesus and that’s why our Christmas decorations need to be taken down by twelfth night. I love tradition. ?

      • Thank you for your thoughts ?. Yes, of course we celebrate with the traditional roscón de Reyes (yum, yum). Of course we no longer leave our shoes out, these days but when ee were children we used to polish them neatly because the Kings would leave some extra pocket money in them. The rest of the presents were left in our living-room, as they didn’t fit into a shop. However, when I got up yesterday there was something hard in one of my slippers. My sister had put a praline in there!
        And no, we no longer leave water and bread for the camels either, as we don’t have children at home at the moment. But it was great fun when we were little ones and my mother used to tell us that she would leave it for the camels.
        This year, we’ve found a king and a bean in one of our “roscones” ( we had bought two). If you find the bean, it means you must pay the roscón (I found the king, hehe). And inside the other one there were and angel and a cake. Thank you for asking ?

        • @Tracy I love tradition, too. These days they are controversial, though. Much politics involved.

        • I’m so tickled you found the King and that your sister had put a praline in one of your slippers! Growing up we left milk and cookies out for Santa, but no carrots for the reindeer as Ellie mentions in her reply.

          Btw, which bracelet did you get?

      • Oops Emily, sorry my answer went under Tracy’s comment. Anyway I think both of you were interested. You are welcome if you want to know more, lol.

    • Oh, that sounds perfect, Marie! <3 I hope you had a lovely day (although it certain sounds like you did!). Aha, what a delightful window into that tradition as well, it was very interesting to read. I am so tickled by the fact that you put out water for the camels just like putting out carrots for the reindeer at Christmas. I'm really glad you enjoyed the review, too. ?

      I love chasing country exclusives (so long as I find them in the end!) but I have a lot of resources to do so with the blog and being part of many different Pandora communities on social media. I appreciate that it's not so easy for everyone. I liked Judy's idea of putting an amount of exclusive beads on each country's estore. That sounds like a fun solution!

        • I know about the milk and cookies for Santa. It´s always on Christmassy films (love them). I didn´t know about the carrots, though. I supposse Rudolf and the others would be happy to find their treats, too. My sister has just remember me that our parents used to tell us that they would leave biscuits and milk or some liqueur for the kings because they were cold. I had completely forgotten!!
          Emily, I got the barrel clasp with clear cz, which I had bought myself togheter with two other Xmas beads a week ago, while visiting family. I had kept it all wrapped waiting for the kings. Bad idea. Magicians as they are, they found out and decided to bring me other things because I had already had my little Pandora spree on my own, lol!

        • Nice choice in bracelets, Marie. My husband surprised me with this one for Christmas a year or so ago. I also have the matching clips. I usually wear it with my pearls and Mother of Pearl charms. Very elegant.

  14. I think Pandora should follow their own advice in their new club charm and share ‘more love’ around the world instead of shutting us off with country exclusives. Not cool Pandora….not cool.

    • I’m the opposite. I love the thrill of the chase with the country exclusives. Besides, it unites pandora ladies all over the world helping each other. I wish there were more exclusives.

      • I feel that, too, Tracy! I think some of the exclusives are a little too hard to find, though. The Chinese Shining crown was impossible!

        • I agree in that country exclusives are all well and good, but I do wish after they have launched, that other areas would be able to order as well. Or at the very least, we could do international ordering.
          Tracy, I have indeed met some very lovely ladies, enjoyed chats with, and have purchased from, on a few Pandora Facebook pages.
          But, again, there are times it would be nice to just be able to purchase.

      • It probably feels different when you have easy connections or travel a lot but for those of us that don’t, it’s frustrating!

    • I do find it exciting to track down country exclusives as Tracy says – but I like Judy’s idea very much of releasing a select number of each charm on every country’s estore to allow everyone a chance to get one!

        • They have arrived and I am so pleased with them! The coffee pot is just gorgeous. I do like the all silver charms and these two did not disappoint.
          And on another note, I have also received the Russian Fairytale Fish. He is stunning. The photos are so nice, but in person…just…WOW!

  15. Oh I do love that coffee pot.. but after all my travels (and my Mum’s) I was still not able to find one. :(

    • Hi Aia,

      I think your best bet is to join a Pandora Facebook group. I got my Arabic Love charm from a lady on Pandora’s Tribe :)

  16. I love the arabic love charm and am desperate to get one. I lived in Saudi for three years want to add it to my bracelet with the coffee pot, camel and palm tree. Do you have any idea if it will be available later in other countries?

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