Once upon a time there was a store tucked amidst the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania in the 'Norman Rockwellesque' town of Clarion. From its beginnings in 1905, the store worked hard to listen to the needs and wants of its valued customers. Through the rough times and in the boom times, fads and fashions would come and go. A women's division was added in 1969. An internet division became a viable component in the late 90's and packages were sent out from Dublin to Dubai, from the Netherlands to the North Pole. The 'little store that could' continued to carry on with a motto of bringing clothing and accessories of substance and style to their local and world-wide audience. And now, that store, FL Crooks & Co, finds itself caught up in a phenomenon that has captured the hearts and minds of customers both young and old alike. That phenomenon is none other than a word of 7 letters. A word packed with pugnacious power - Pandora!
Quite possibly becoming the world's most recognized and loved jewelry brand, Pandora was born of an idea of making quality jewelry accessible for all women of all ages. The signature item, a bracelet, is made of sterling silver, 14K gold, and precious stones. The pieces are mixed and matched to create a personal, individual and very unique look. The ever expanding universe of bracelets and charms now also includes watches, rings, necklaces and earrings.
The Pandora company was founded in Denmark in 1982 by goldsmith Per Enevoldsen and his wife, Winnie. In 2000 the Pandora charm bracelet was launched.
From Denmark, the company moved to Sweden, Norway and Iceland. In 2003, the brand came to the USA and Canada, and by 2009 was represented in 28 countries.
FL Crooks & Co began their adventure with Pandora in the Spring of 2009. Owner Jim Crooks was at a trade show when he learned about this exciting new line, and he made plans, albeit cautious plans initially, to bring the jewelry line to his store. He installed a single wooden jewelry case in the center of the women's division of FL Crooks & Co (directly across from its present location) and FL Crooks & Co began selling the unique bracelets and charms. As interest grew quickly and resoundly, it wasn't long, in the Fall of 2010 in time for the annual Autumn Leaf Festival, until he took out the center dressing rooms and created space for a Pandora 'Shop in Shop'. The 'Shop in Shop', the second in Pennsylvania, features glass counter unit display pieces, lighting fixtures, and a wooden floor unit. The Pandora inventory at FL Crooks & Co soon expanded to include rings, necklaces, earrings, and watches.
Pandora visual merhandiser Christian Green stated she is amazed at how the Pandora progression keeps gaining momentum, "I like that it's so personable. They have a charm for every occasion, event, or memory. We have our new Valentine's Day beads, about 10." She went on to explain that there are currently over 500 beads. The Pandora company periodically retires some and releases more beads two times a year. Christian pointed out some of the top sellers of beads are as follows: Queen Bee, Journey, Key to My Heart, Inner Strength, and Forget-Me-Not. Each piece is individually hand-crafted. Incredibly, each murano bead takes 4 to 6 hours to be created.
The 5 Unique values that Pandora promotes through their distinctive jewelry include:
- Genuine (conveying originality, quality, integrity);
- Inspiring (aiming to inspire women to celebrate individuality);
- Passionate (living the life one loves);
- Joyful (sharing happy, personal stories);
- Aspirational (striving for the best).
Well, that's our Pandora story. Perhaps it's time to begin your Pandora story. Or perhaps it's time to continue on with your Pandora story. Afterall, we all love a good story. Timeless... Elegant...
Unique... Enduring... Creative... Effervescent... Universal... That's Pandora. A phenomenon you want to be a part of. At FL Crooks & Co in downtown Clarion.
