Does anyone know about the Italian charms in Epcot?

[nicksmom]

We just got back from our WDW vacation. Several years ago I bought the add-a-link bracelet and my daughter's initials in one of the stores in Epcot it Italy. It was very expensive, but I was told the initials were 14k. Last year I bought a charm there with Minnie on it in enamel...again costly. Then before we went I bought a Tink charm on Ebay for $6 from "disneyland" the cardboard holder it was in said. You can hardly tell it is Tink, so this year I trucked back to the expensive store in Italy and purchase a 'real' Tink charm that actually looks like her for around $30. What is the difference besides clarity? The first time I made the purchase, they told me the initials were 14k and then the next time that the enamel Mickey was silver...this time the guy had no clue about the Tink charm. Is there a difference in the quality or am I just going to the Italy store each year for nothing but a high price tag? Any advice would be great! Thanks.

 

[scoutsmom99]

Ok I did a search and here is what I found from Italycharms.com:

All major brands of Italian Charms are 100% compatible with each other. Major brands include: Zoppini, Nomination, Puzzle, Unodomani, ROMA, Casa d'oro, Italia, Talexia, GP Firenze and Boxing (most likely any other brand you've heard of is also compatible). In addition, most major companies use quality products such as real, solid 18k gold with an enamel coating for protection. However, you have to be careful as more 'knock-offs' are hitting the market. These are usually imported from Asia and made with gold plating, not solid gold, and are often glued together, rather than soldered as the 'real' charms are.

How is an Italian Charm made?

As mentioned above there are 'real' and 'fake' Italian Charms. While we don't know how the fake ones are made, we can tell you how Genuine Italian Charms are crafted. Generally speaking here is the process (most of which is done by hand!):

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Flattening a gold ribbon to the proper thickness.
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Gold strips pass through a mold that cuts the charms.
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Applying solder to the back of each charm so it adheres to stainless steel.
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Soldering charms to a strip of links.
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Rinsing charms after a cleansing wash.
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Charms are placed in a machine for drying.
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Polishing the charms.

The cheap $4 ones you can get around WDW are glued...I have a few of those and I have also noticed that the backs of the charms get kinda icky vs. the nicer ones. The ones you are getting in Italy are the nice ones! I hope that helps

 

[Staples5705]

You want the high quality charms for the Italian Bracelet. As Charms are added, it becomes more and more valuable. I have one space left on my current bracelet (being saved for the wedding day). My mom bought me the Mickey ears in my birthstone and spent approx. $30.00. Also, if it is an item that should have a trademark associated (such as Mickey's ears), you should be spending at least $20.00, however if it is less it's probably a knock off and not as high a quality.

Pam

 

[catsrule]

They are 18k. You can get them on ebay every now and then for half the price of wdw. This is where I get mine.