Today brings my first Pandora Spring 2018 review proper, with a closer look at the beautiful Sparkling Snail charm! At first, I found him adorable, but silly – nevertheless, I kept noticing him and thinking how nice he’d look with certain beads, and then the live images came out, and before I knew it, he had crept to the top of my Spring 2018 wish list. ^^
He ended up being the first bead I got from this lovely collection! My boyfriend actually surprised me with him after work just after the Spring launch. I got up to run a bath, came back, and a Pandora bag had magically appeared in my chair while I was gone. Inside – this adorable snail! :D
It was a gloomy, rainy day here last Saturday – and so it seemed like the perfect kind of weather for a snail to poke his head out of my jewellery box and into this review. ?? Read on for some close-up shots and styling inspiration!
Pandora Sparkling Snail review
In person, this little Snail is just as sweet as his stock image – cuter, in fact! The way it’s weighted gives him quite an endearing whimsical little tilt, inclining his eyes towards you.
The pink in his eyes is not as vibrant/noticeable in person, however, so they don’t really limit the versatility. You can choose to bring it out by pairing it with other pinks, but otherwise it doesn’t pose too much of a colour clash! You can find the hallmarks for this bead tucked along his underside, too.
The back is all silver – so, although this bead has a lot of pavé on it, it’s offset by the substantial amount of plain silver on show. When you have the bead the right way up, you don’t even see that much pavé. It’s threaded, and while it’s a compact design, it still feels nice and solid, and a ‘proper’ Pandora animal bead that would go with any of their previous offerings.
The only thing is that the silver, beings smooth, does show up scratches quite easily. I work at a desk 9–5, Monday–Friday, and have been pretty much wearing this charm every day since I got it! It’s showing up signs of wear already – which is no real fault in the charm, just an unfortunate side effect of typing.
Styling
So, for my main styling, I’ve gone for an semi-insect/bug-themed bracelet – which is much cuter than it sounds, I promise you! At the centre of the design is the new Enchanted Garden Glass murano, with its little bumblebees drifting in the glass, and then the two Butterfly Kisses glass beads either side of it. I think this glass combination works well, the purple complementing both the pink and the blue either side of it.
As you can see, I also got the Wildflower Meadow bracelet and safety chain – the bracelet in particular is great to wear with this adorable Snail, as it has a little ladybird dangling from it, which match the whole insect-y theme very nicely. ^^ I’ve also added in the Dragonfly Meadow.
You could add any number of other related beads though, such as the ladybird charms, or perhaps the retired scarab beetle? That might count! Or, there’s the beehive, or lots of other butterflies. ?
Also, just to show you how nicely the blush pink crystals in his eyes go with brown, I popped him on this leather bracelet. It goes really well with other blush beads, as well!
I’m actually wearing it on an all-lilac/lavender styling with the Enchanted Garden Glass murano, but I’ll be featuring that one properly in my next review, which will be of the EG murano. ?
Conclusion
For me, the Sparkling Snail is symbolic of a really great and revitalised Spring release from Pandora, offering a design that mixes the brand’s newer passion for pavé with the magic of their older character charms. It’s quirky, without being overbearing, as it’s quite petite, and it settles nicely into a bracelet design. I love it, and judging from the images I’ve seen from social media, a lot of other collectors do too!
The Sparkling Snail is $55 USD or £45.
What do you think of this charm? Has it made it home with you, or is it on your wish list?
Hiya ?
Awww what a cute review of a cutie. When I first saw this snail I did not think I would like it. Not that it didn’t look appealing visually more that I never liked snails ( after all they are slugs without the shells ) but after seeing pix on social Media I adore him ( I think you are right about the stones I too like that they are not as vibrant in person) he is super cute and I love hjm on your animal/insects theme bracelet
What I meant to say was they are slugs with the shells :)
Hey Alex! Thanks :D I liked him from the start, but thought that it was maybe a bit too quirky – but he slowly won me over and now he’s one of my favourites of the new Spring beads. So sweet in person!
This was one of my first spring purchase along with the rose bunny. My snail sits with my pave fruit themed bracelet. I find it does bring back a little bit of the original Pandora.
Me too bunny and snail!
Lovely! :D I did think about putting him with some pavé fruit as well – I bet that looks great. I have the pear and the watermelon!
Wish I could get the pear… ?
Aw! :( I got my brother to bring it back from Australia for me, but it’s appeared in the UK sale now weirdly enough for £35. It was never released here though!
Oh I love your bracelets and the lil snail! You make me want to get him now! One question though…does he flip alot or stay upright?
Thanks for the review and Happy Easter!
Mine flips a lot.
I’ve found that if you put the “flippers on a full bracelet and position them so that they hit at the sides of your wrist/arm that they tend to stay put a little better.
Mine spends most of his time facing downwards – he does flip a bit. It might be better once you fill your bracelet up though, as my bracelet is really not full and he has a lot of space in which to spin round. He’s so cute though, from any angle! ^^
Happy Easter to you too and thanks for commenting! :)
Hi
I love the little snail, I’ll be purchasing it for my daughters birthday in April. I’ve already purchased the wildflower meadow bracelet for her and 2 of the enchanted garden murano beads, unfortunately I’ve had to return one of the beads as the bees were hardly recognisable as bees at all and looked more like moths and were very tiny. Hope she likes it as much as I do.
The bees on the murano are much smaller than I expected. How is your wildflower bracelet for ease of clasping? I posted below, but seeing you have it too, am curious if you have to force the end down into the flower to get it in like I do? The hinge barely opens on mine and there isn’t really enough room for the clasp to slide down into the notch.
Melissa I also have a huge problem with the clasp on this bracelet. Very difficult to put on and take off. I’m tempted to take it back!
Mine was like that too at first. But I’ve been wearing it a lot and the Clasp has relaxed. The hinges move up a bit farther now so the other end fits more easily into the Clasp.
Glad I’m not the only one who noticed the inconsistency of the bees! I sadly walked out of the store without the murano because I wasn’t happy with the bees on the ones I saw (I saw maybe three or four). On some the bees were so tiny you hardly noticed them, and on one they had this strange circular border around them, like a sticker, as if it were on a separate piece that hasnt been properly melted into the rest of the bead. I also didn’t like how the vines were so thick on some of the beads really overpowering the rest of the design! I’ll be back at some point to sift through some more muranos till I find one or two pieces that fit my standards though lol! It’s a very cute design, but I think they could have paid for attention to workmanship to make them more consistent. I’ve seen better execution of detail in artisan beads and other companies.
I totally agree, very disappointing standards for Pandora. Unfortunately I’ve got to buy on line as I don’t have a store near me, I think I may order a couple more bees and send back what I don’t want
I didn’t notice the other problems with the new beads, but that is disappointing for an expensive bead from pandora.
I did the same, as I couldn’t really see the bees that well I decided to wait till they had more stock in. I’m traveling this week so will see if stores in the different part of the world have better bees on their muranos! :)
I found that the bees varied in size. I found 2 beads w larger, more distinct bees, but many beads had bees as you described. I like this charm and ended up finding enough pandora to reach $1000, making it a $600 spend. I didn’t think I’d like that many of the beads, but I did. I also got the all rose bangle and the long rose drop earrings, which pushed the spend up. It was a nice spring collection!
Gosh, you have been busy. I have a completed rose bracelet and I love it. As for the bees, I live in rural France and do not have a Pandora store anywhere near so I’ve got to order everything on line which means I can’t compare the bees and choose the better ones, very annoying
Lisa K,
I am so happy for you that you comleted your rose gold design. It is probably really lovely and that able to pick up the charms you have been eyeing up.
Hi Kay! Amazing, I’m sure she will love it – sounds like a wonderful present. I know what you mean regarding the EG murano. When I went in store, the vast majority of them were wonderful but there were a couple with very ‘fuzzy’ bees. Definitely one to choose in person!
I love the snail and put him on my Enchanted Garden themed bracelet. Am curious of your experience with the wildflower bracelet. The hinge on mine barely opens and I have to fight to get the “nose” of the end clasp into it. I thought I would end up breaking it. Heck of a time clasping it off my wrist, on my wrist I thought I would need help or have to give up wearing it. Is mine defective? Or is this a overall design flaw?
I got mine today and even though the clasp doesn’t open very wide, I can insert the other end quite easily and do the clasp by myself. Hope this helps you, and I’d like to know what other ladies find of their clasp as I’ve also read it was difficult to do (and was concerned, as it is not for sale on my country só I had to order).
Girls, I had such a time with a couple of my heart bracelets with those silly clasps and hard to hook when significant is traveling! So, decided to just be conservative. I think they will give up the tightness and open more as you use them. I lose my patience now that the open bangles are here.
My first bracelet had a class that opened only very narrowly. I actually ended up exchanging it because it wasn’t round either and had a tilt towards one side (which drives me crazy). I found that my second bracelet’s clasp opened up noticeably more than my first one! The first bracelet was definitely very annoying to get on and I did wonder whether mine was defective! Much happier with my second one, and this one is just slightly harder than other clasps to open and close but now that I’m more used to it, it doesn’t reduce how much I love the bracelet! A slightly finicky clasp for the beauty of the design is okay but I’d definitely recommend trying the clasp in store to get one that opens wider to save yourself a bit of annoyance! Luckily I know a very nice sales associate who is always super nice about exchanges with me !
It sounds like quality control at pandora needs to get better.
The clasp doesn’t open very wide on mine, but it does open enough to get the bracelet done up without any major problems. I can slot the end of the bracelet in pretty easily – certainly without having to fight the clasp! Sounds like yours might be defective and I’d take it into store for them to have a look at it. :)
I loved the snail when I first saw it and it is on my wishlist. I have wanted to create a garden themed bracelet and I think it would be a perfect addition.
It would be perfect for a garden themed bracelet!
I haven’t tried opening the bracelet as I’ve bought it for my daughters birthday present, after reading your comment I’m hoping it’s not going to be too fiddly
Sounds like it might be worth testing before you give it to her! :)
Hi ellie I love this charm so cute I think it looks great with lots of other animal beads and nature theme. That’s so lovely your OH surprising you with it.
Hi Nicola! Definitely, it’s a very worthy addition to Pandora’s little menagerie of charms. :D And yes, he was a sweetheart. The best kind of surprise!
Now I want the snail!! I find the enchanted garden a chore to close. Love your blog.
Haha, well I hope you find one, as it is super cute! :D Thanks Lori!
Hi Ellie,
Your bracelet looks lovely as always. I will definitely get the Wildflower meadow and safety chain.
Although I like insects representing my lovely garden, I hate slugs which are making holes in my hostas. My collection has more than a hundred. So for this reason I’m afraid this charm will not sit on my bracelet. ?
Happy Easter!????
Hi Rachelle! Thank you :D the Wildflower Meadow pieces are lovely, too. Such a wonderful Spring collection!
Haha, that strikes me as fair enough. I am not a gardener, so I can enjoy this little snail without any issues, lol! Thanks for commenting, and happy Easter to you too! <3 ?
Now I want the snail!! I find the wildflower meadow bracelet difficult to close. Love your blog.
Hi Ellie,
The snail and the new Wildflower Meadow murano was my first purchase. I love the use of the butterfly kisses. The snail is my favourite of the entire collection, the silver mouse with the pink ears and articulation tail is my next favourite.
To date I have worn the snail everyday either on my bracelet or necklace. The pave is properly placed and is an excellent example of enhancing vs overtaking a design.
It is wonderful to see your stylings and tgey are both wonderful. I have a tendency to wear full bracelets, the snail has gotten a little crowded out. I have taken to putting this charm on a Bangle or open Bangle so it can be seen, by me at least. You are right about the pink eyes not interfering with using other colours, Fot the longest time I didn’t realize the eyes were pink!
Thanks again for this fab review. Will you be getting the mouse or the tea pot? I love mine, but it is very shiny like the snail it too will scratch. Typing on my phone so apologies in advance for typos.
Cheers!
Lisa K
Hi Lisa! I think the Snail might be my favourite, too. Although I do love the EG murano as well. Perhaps they can be my joint favourites! There’s just too much to love this season, it’s lovely.
I wear full bracelets as well – I just don’t tend to put them together for review. I don’t have as much time as I used to, and it takes so long to screw all the beads on and off! So I prefer to do mini designs for review to give you an idea of colours and themes, and then people could always think up a full design based off them. The pink eyes are a really cute detail on it, it’s both good and bad that they’re not always that noticeable I think!
I will be getting both the mouse and the teapot, haha! ;) The teapot is already on its way to me from the US sale (the tracking just pinged to say it arrived in London today from New York so hopefully it will be with me very soon!). Funds permitting, I’ll get the mouse soon as well. :) Thanks for commenting Lisa, I’m so glad you enjoyed the review! Enjoy your little snail, too!
I got the snail as my first spring 2018 purchase then added a bunny. I put them on the pandora bracket with the rose gold clasp and last night I added the cherry blossom clips and a darling daisy spacer between the bunny and the snail. I am going for a spring bloom and animal theme. May add the mouse later.
That sounds stunning!
I really liked how it turned out. The daisy spacer is really quite lovely.
I can envision how all the charms look with the rose gold clasp and it looks fabulous in my minds eye. I have turned into a hard core Pandora collector as knew name of ever charm you mentioned. Ha.
Your design sounds stunning! I love the CB clips, and they look particularly lovely with a little Pandora Rose. The mouse would be another very nice addition, and the pink ears would complement the cherry blossoms very well.
I love the snail and have him on my family memories bracelet. Reminds me of when my 21 yoa grandson was 3 and he’d squat down and watch the snails crawl across the sidewalks for hours on end.
I haven’t had any problem with him rolling down any more than other charms. He is a little bottom heavy so he does stay upright okay. I have to say he is my favorite of all the charms I bought from the spring release. He is just so darn cute.
Oh bless him! How sweet. There is something rather fascinating about snails when you’re little. They’re such fun little creatures.
Perhaps it depends on which way you wear your bracelet (charms facing out, facing in). I always wear my charms facing towards me so that I can see them properly (I reason that I am probably going to be enjoying them more than anyone else around me haha), and I find that he flips so that his antennae point downwards. I don’t mind this, though, he’s sweet from all angles!
Hi Ellie!
As usual, I love your stylings. And I think your review is perfect. This little guy (or gal, after all, the eyes are pink) is a super versatile bead. And I loved the pictures of both the front and back views. Perhaps the back could be construed as it’s “bottom”. Lol!
I too bought the wildflower meadow bracelet, but took it in a totally different direction. Others have commented that the Clasp on this bracelet is tough to open wide enough to place the other end inside the Clasp. I found at the beginning I had to go in sideways, which was beyond awkward. But after wearing it so much, the Clasp has relaxed and the hinges open a lot farther.
My snail, as well as the adorable mouse, made their way onto my blooming dahlia bracelet. The centers of those flowers are the same blush pink as the snail’s eyes, so you actually see the pink paired this way. It finishes off that bracelet for me since I had 2 slots left. But I agree if you put the snail elsewhere, you don’t notice the eye colors so much.
Like you, I found a lot to love about the Spring collection this year. So much for exercising restraint. I failed miserably, but now I’m going to try again! Lol!
Thanks for the review. It takes a lot of time and energy to maintain this blog, even though it is a labor of love. You have no idea how much we all appreciate having this community you have created. It’s the premier Pandora forum IMHO.
Hi Deborah! Yay, thank you very much. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. :D I’m planning on getting and reviewing the mouse in the near future, so you can enjoy a proper shot of its behind in that review lol! The snail is just too dignified for that sort of thing.
It’s good to know that your WF hinge relaxed a bit. Mine was always fine, although I was surprised that it didn’t open further. I didn’t have a problem closing it though!
Sounds like a perfect place your little Snail! Putting it with other pinks does bring out its eyes. I have it with some soft purples, which don’t bring it out quite so much, but when you do notice the pink it’s a lovely complement to the other lilac beads and to the pink in the teacup dangle I have on there.
You always leave me such lovely warm comments and I so appreciate them. I love doing the blog for its own sake, but hearing how much you enjoy it makes it all the more worthwhile. ^^ Thank you, Deborah!
Hi! Thanks for the update. ? Do you happen to know what to do with my tarnish pandora bangle? It turned out dark silver. Never worn them, kept it inside the original box. Thank you!
You can try polishing it with a silver polishing cloth. If that doesn’t work well, they will polish it for you at the store.
Hi Cass! Unfortunately keeping Pandora jewellery in the original gift box does cause them to tarnish quicker. :( I’d give it a really good clean as per the instructions in this post:
http://www.morapandorablog.com/2013/11/02/feature-cleaning-and-storing-your-pandora-silver-jewellery/
If it’s proving stubborn, then I’d take it into store for a professional clean. Whatever you do, don’t use silver jewellery chemical cleaners on it however as this will damage any oxidised details!
How sweet of your BF to gift you this charm. I love how he supports your Pandora passion. Happy Easter Ellie
Haha, thanks Lozzie! Yes, luckily he still finds it quite endearing rather than completely bonkers. Long may that last! ^^ Happy Easter to you too!
Ellie, thanks again and especially when things can be so busy for you. I love this little snail! Better on my bracelet than in AZ, because they can be sludgy-like here! Yuk! I included it with my nature florals in pink, that darling curious cat, the mouse (thanks to you), 2 pink droplets because I already owned them; and my teapot! I haven’t added the teacup yet because I need another dangle. I could add a second cup! A fun charm that could make the rounds on my bracelets. The bug idea! Not for me, too cute though.
Aha, yes, I do prefer the snail in charm form to the real thing haha. They’re funny little creatures but undeniably slimy. ^^ That is a very pretty sounding bracelet! The pink droplets are a great thought, they’d go very nicely with this bead, and bring out the pink in his eyes a little too.Thanks for commenting! <3
I don’t think the photos f the snail do it justice as it really is a lot lovlier in reality – it would not have been even on my list but when I seen it in the shop it became a contender as it is ever so cute however 1st purchase for me will be the little teapot – and I would like the murano with the bees on but will be scrutinising for bees that stand out thanks to the comments here
Yes, definitely make sure you pick out the Enchanted Garden glass in person – I had a look at the ones in store first and, while the majority were lovely, a couple had very fuzzy bee detailing!
Hi Ellie,
Thanks for this great review!. I must say I was eagerly awaiting it, since the little guy stole my heart as soon as I saw it in store. I haven´t got anything from the spring collection yet because I took good advantage of the sales running at the beginning of this month and bought some discontinued Essence pieces I was interested in. Apart from that, when the sale was over I suffered from withdrawal symptons (lol) and rushed to the mall for a new safety chain I needed, so I´m trying to be good until next Saturday when the mall offers their monthly 10 Euro off voucher for all shops, Pandora included. Still a week to go, roll on time! I can´t wait to add some of the enchanted pieces and the lovely blues to my collection!!
On a different note, how sweet of your boyfriend to surprise you like that!
Looking forward to your next review!
PS. Your designs above are lovely. My favourite one is the blush on brown leather because I absolutely love blush. I usually mix my blush RH with the Dahlia Bloom clips and dangle on a snake chain and I quite like the look of it.
Have a nice weekend!
Hi Marie! Aha, hope you don’t get too impatient waiting for Saturday to come around. You have so much more patience than I do, haha. I could not contain myself with this release, it was such a nice feeling be that excited for a new Pandora collection again. Have fun shopping this weekend! :)
And thank you! ? I love the blush tones as well, and my favourite is always to put them with the brown leather. I’d like to do a proper pink and brown design at some point, as it’s a favourite combination of mine. Have a lovely weekend too and happy Easter! :)
Hello Ellie, I enjoyed the review of the snail charm, thanks so much! I like the way Pandora are doing these character beads again as I find them so charming. Not sure if I will buy the snail as I think I am more of a fan of cute furry animals ha! But I love the way you have styled it and it is nicely reminiscent of a lovely walk in the fields with the bees, butterflies and flowers. I do wish Pandora would do a few animals like a fox, otter, badger and squirrel. I would so love those. Thanks again for the great review! I am looking forward to more reviews of your spring and other purchases!
I would love little furry animals too. I bought the retired dangle rabbit from RueLaLa last month. For now he plays the role of Winnie the Pooh’s friend.
Me too. I would like Pandora to do more animal charms as well including a squirrel, deer, and fox.
I have the retired bunny who’s ears flop forward. I do find the pandora animals adorable.. like the African elephant, giraffe, charming owls, cat etc. I use the Christmas reindeer dangle on my zoo/animal themed bracelet until he’s moved to the festive one in December
Hi Pauline! Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! ? I could not agree more. There so many more animals they could do – an otter has been top of my list for such a long time! Ohm Beads do one, but I’m always reluctant to move away from Pandora as that is what I most like collect. I did get the Chamilia Sleeping Fox recently, though, which is so adorable. Foxes and otters would sell well I’m sure! They should do a woodland collection for AW18. :D Thanks for commenting! There are more Spring reviews on the way. :)
I bought the snail and added it to a bracelet. Yesterday I wore it, and one of the antenna caught on the weave of my sweater. I will be more careful with what I wear when I wear my snail!
I hadn’t had a problem before, but just after I read your comment, I snagged him on a jumper when putting it on! I will have to watch him also. ^^
Hi Ellie,
I bought this adorable little snail during the Save More Event and love it. I initially thought of using it on my Poetic Blooms bracelet with the teapot, cup and mouse, but decided to use it with the Enchanted Garden Glass instead. I was thinking of adding both charms to the Wildflower Meadow bracelet. My store had not received the bracelet in time for the sale and that may have been a good thing after seeing a lot of ladies are having a problem closing the clasp.
Thanks for sharing your lovely bracelet designs. I was aware of the pink eyes from your first preview, but in person hard to detect. I like your design using the Blush Pink Radiant Hearts. I’m thinking of trying the snail with mine to bring out the pink eyes.
As much fun as the Spring launch has been, we still have some cute things coming with Mother’s Day and Summer releases! A welcome change from more recent years.
Thanks for reviewing the Sparkling Snail. I’m looking forward to the next review.
Happy Easter Everyone!
Hi Emily! I will be using mine with the Enchanted Garden glass, and the teapot, cup and mouse! I’m putting all my Spring beads on one design. I don’t usually do that, as there’s a danger that you end up with a design for each collection that looks the same as all the campaign imagery, but I love this collection so much that I’m making an exception. ^^ I don’t have a problem closing the clasp of my WF meadow bracelet, but it does sound like it’s one to check before taking it home.
I know, there’s still a lot to plan for coming up! Thankfully I do want a little less from both MD and Summer, but there’s still enough to keep me ticking over. You’re right, it is so refreshing!
Thanks for commenting Emily, and happy Easter! :)
HI Ellie! I loved the description you used in an earlier post to describe the sparkling snail – “transforming slime into sparkle”. Ha, so true with this little guy. I think the pave looks just fine, since as you noted, it’s balanced by the smooth silver.
I don’t have the snail bead, but I’m still considering it. If I get it, I think I will put him with the enchanted garden glass, a pink or purple radiant droplet, and other silver garden creatures such as a ladybug, a butterfly, a dragonfly, or a rabbit. Thanks for the review!
Hi Judy! Haha, I was tempted to repeat that line for this review. ^^ It is a really wonderful use of pavé – a great example of how it can enhance a design, rather than distracting from it.
Sounds like it would be beautiful, you should definitely consider it! :D I’m putting it with my lilac radiant droplets and some other garden animals – the old silver ladybug and butterfly, and then some of the other Spring 2018 beads when they arrive from the US sale. Thanks for commenting! <3