Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This interview explores Pandora’s evolving brand vision under CMO Berta de Pablos-Barbier, highlighting the company’s commitment to sustainability and the artistry of Thai craftsmanship. We examine how the jewelry giant balances tradition with innovation in a market defined by personal expression.
Unlike in fashion, there is rarely a dominant trend in the jewelry sector. Jewelry is more closely tied to self-expression, so many trends exist in parallel. Currently, the area of new materials is particularly striking, for example, recycled or innovative metal alloys, or new processes in stone cutting. Also exciting is the diversity of design, where minimalist pieces stand equally alongside very expressive, maximalist ones. For me, the most exciting thing right now is the creative use of new materials.
Pandora combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. Machines alone cannot create jewelry – but technologies help us, for example, to make materials traceable, to better analyze and reduce water and energy consumption, and to develop new creative effects, such as color-changing enamel, holographic elements, or charms that glow in the dark. This creativity is important to us.
Sustainability in the jewelry sector is by no means an easy endeavor. But since last year, Pandora has been working with 100 percent recycled silver and gold. So, from the charm to the clasp, every part has had a previous life – either as a piece of jewelry or reused from another industry. This also applies to the delicate silver trees created in the factory in Lamphun, Thailand. First, rubber trees are shaped, silver is melted and poured into the rubber molds. After cutting and polishing, the shine follows. Crystals are set or hand-painted with colored enamel. And the final step: nearly 30 rounds of strict quality inspection. The result: a piece of jewelry produced using 100 percent renewable electricity in all owned facilities.
Is the focus on the environment due to Danish influence? Copenhagen is known for its strict sustainability standards, which naturally also apply to Pandora. The brand was founded in 1982 by Danish goldsmith Per Enevoldsen and his wife Winnie. The idea: to make jewelry wearable and accessible. Today, Pandora is one of the largest jewelry brands worldwide. In an interview with Elle, Pandora’s Chief Marketing Officer, Berta de Pablos-Barbier, spoke about the future and vision, sustainability, and the significance of production in Thailand.
Elle.de: What trends are you currently observing in the jewelry industry – both in design and technology?
Sustainability is a cornerstone of Pandora. What specific goals are you pursuing?
What is Pandora’s long-term vision?
Does this claim to accessibility also represent a form of empowerment?
