Today’s post continues my Pandora Autumn 2015 reviews, with a closer look at the new Fascinating Blush charm! Also known as the Rosy Facets charm in the UK and other regions, this charm was another one that featured heavily in Pandora’s campaign images for this collection.
The interesting thing about the Fascinating Blush is that, while it may look like a regular Pandora murano, it is actually faceted crystal and not glass! Rumour has it that there have been production issues with these crystal beads, however, and that Pandora will be discontinuing them. No official statement on that yet from Pandora, but do bear that in mind when planning your future purchases! 🙂
The charm
I am a big fan of Pandora murano glass, and so I was really intrigued to see how these new crystal versions would measure up. I absolutely love the blush/rosy colour; it’s a new shade of pink from Pandora, and has a rather gorgeous vintage aesthetic to it. The colour runs all the way through the bead, meaning you can see it from side on as well.
In addition to this blush shade, there is also an olive crystal out for Autumn. I haven’t got my paws on the Fascinating Olive yet, but rest assured it’s on my hit list! 😉 They are made from what Pandora simply terms ‘crystal’, which means essentially that they are synthetic stones.
The use of crystal does have a different quality in comparison to the faceted murano glass beads, one that really has to be appreciated in person. It is not sparkly or glittery as such, but rather the colour is a little more consistent and clear in person, remaining pretty much the same regardless of what light it is in. The colour is a lot richer than the stock image suggests, and not so flat. It’s definitely on the rosier side.
I have heard that there is not much variation in colour and finish between these crystal murano-style beads, although I haven’t had the chance to see many examples in person myself. Victoria from Endangered Trolls pointed out in her review of the Fascinating Olive crystal that the faceting for the crystals is diamond-shaped, whereas the faceting on the murano glass is usually hexagonal, which is a detail I hadn’t noticed previously!
These crystal beads have the original thicker Pandora silver core, which is nice to see!
Styling
I’ve heard mixed reviews from collectors as to whether the blush pieces go well with the Pandora Rose collection – but, personally, I think they work very nicely together, especially with a little white enamel to offset the whole look. Ideally you’d have a couple more of the blush beads to complete this bracelet design!
If you’re not into the Pandora Rose collection, then a little yellow gold two-tone looks great as well with the Blush crystal. 😀 I went for more vintage charms such as the jewellery box charm, the LE Vintage Heart and the pink sapphire Double Heart clips.
However, I am going to be wearing it on my single brown leather bracelet. This was a recent Rue La La purchase, and I’m a little in love with it! The Fascinating Blush is warm and rosy in shade, so it goes really well with this leather. I’ve gone for another mini-Arabian styling, and I’m hoping to add the blush Radiant Hearts charm to finish this one off!
The other styling that works surprisingly well together is pairing the Fascinating Blush & Olive crystals together. I don’t have the Olive yet, but I’ve loved the designs that people have come up with – especially when combined with some of the new Autumn 2015 feather pieces. 🙂
Conclusion
The Fascinating Blush is a gorgeous warm colour, and the crystal gives it a beautiful, jewel-like finish that you don’t get with traditional muranos. It doesn’t offer a particularly dramatic difference when compared to the usual murano glass, but it’s very pretty nevertheless. I hadn’t originally intended to get this bead so soon, but the rumours of their possible discontinuation prompted me to bump it up my wish list. 😉 It would be a shame if Pandora couldn’t make it work with these beads, as both the Blush and Olive offer rich shades that aren’t available in Pandora’s current range of murano glass.
The Fascinating Blush is $50 USD or £35. I usually recommend John Greed for shoppers in the UK but they never received their expected shipment of this charm – however, the rest of the Pandora Autumn collection is available as usual!
Have you bought this charm, or is it on your wish list? How do you think it compares to regular murano glass?
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