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Monday, June 5th
If you're looking for truly unusual charm bracelets, Hitye is going to be a site you love browsing. Who knew you could get charms for everything from "A Chicken Bathing in Ramen" to "Vintage Hot Air Balloon" (with a little teapot on the bottom)? Hitye calls itself an "emerging fashion jewelry brand from China" , focusing on personalized charms and bracelets.
Fun, novel charm bracelets
The easiest way to shop the Hitye site for anything specific is by using the categories at the top of the page. You'll find lots of themes for charms, like holidays, religion, travel, family and friends. Many of the charms are painted enamel: great if you're going for a whimsical look, but maybe not if you're building a charm bracelet suitable for a dressy occasion or for everyday wear at the office.
Off-brand themes
We got a chuckle out of some of the themes on Hitye, obviously trying to imitate a brand or something protected by copyright. One of our favorites was the "Magic Journey" set: "follow the wonderful teapot and the talking clock housekeeper to embark on a magical journey full of love and adventure" . Other charms in that set include the "Princess Magic Mirror" and the "Magic Candlestick" . We'll give you three guesses to name that Disney movie, and the first two don't count.
Nothing expensive here
You won't find anything priced over $80 here, and Hitye seems to offer a "buy two charms, get two free" promo all the time. The most expensive bracelet we saw was a $79.99 snake chain bracelet with a heart-shaped key and lock design, and the highest-end charms were priced at $48.99 (in novel designs like Tomb Keeper, Girl on Sofa, and a bunch of "Royal Band" guards who looked like something out of the Nutcracker ballet). Shipping is free on orders of $59+, or $4.99 for orders under that threshold.
Pay attention to dimensions
We strongly recommend that you look through all of the photos for any charm you're considering, because you'll usually find the measurements there. Some charms are much smaller than they appear, and many reviews said customers were surprised when the charm came (even though the dimensions were clearly disclosed in the photos).
US-returns for 60 days, plus 1-year warranty
In our experience, most online retailers with a presence primarily in China (no US-based warehouses or customer support) aren't super reliable - not to mention the fact that returns are difficult and costly. With Hitye, you've got 60 days to make a return, and they'll cover the return shipping costs - which, fortunately, would only be to a Pittsburgh address and not overseas. This retailer also offers a one-year warranty on every charm and bracelet.
Customer feedback is limited
However, Hitye doesn't give us much to go on, to let us know if we can trust that they deliver on their promises. Their social media channels are sparse, with no customer reviews and little activity, plus the company doesn't have a listing with the BBB as far as we could find. The only shopper reviews we spotted were at the bottom of the charm listings: at the time of this review, there were only 23 ratings posted for Hitye as a store, all four and five stars. People were happy with the charms and said the shipping was fast, but we need more than a couple dozen reviews before trusting Hitye with our business.
So far, so good
We give Hitye a respectable three-star rating: after all, there's nothing wrong with being a newer business based in China, and we didn't see any obvious red flags yet. We'd remind you that your order may take longer to arrive than anything you'd buy from a US retailer, and that you should be aware of the charm's dimensions when you order here. Hopefully Hitye will have more customer feedback available in the future as the company grows.
There's no better way to commemorate an important achievement like a college graduation, celebrate a special occasion, or keep reminders of treasured memories close at hand. From cute costume jewelry with dangly trinkets to elegant adornments in 14k gold, there's a charm bracelet to suit every style and budget.
When designing this one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry, your first consideration should probably be the bracelet style. Bangles are solid, sometimes with an opening on the side, and the corresponding charms have a hole in the middle that you slide on and off by unscrewing the fixed charm in the middle or on one of the ends.
Snake chains are similar in the way the beads slide on, but the bracelet itself is more flexible. Or, if you prefer the kinds of charms that attach with a jump ring or a clasp, you'd choose a more traditional chain bracelet.
Once you've chosen the bracelet style, it's time to have some fun and create something new! What are you commemorating and who will be wearing this unique creation? It's hard to imagine a charm that isn't available somewhere: you won't just see classic graduation years, travel mementoes like miniature Eiffel Towers and palm trees, but also choices that might be considered somewhat... odd. How about a gold bandage or a beaver on skis? You do you!
Now that you have an idea of how your charm bracelet will look, where should you buy it? There are lots of online stores to choose from, so how can you tell where to start? Here are some factors that can help you narrow it down:
To help you find the perfect bracelets and charms, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked today's most popular stores. We're sure this information will enable you to create an amazing themed charm bracelet - or add cute new charms to one you already have!
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