Alex and Ani Bracelets First Impressions

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen that I started my Alex and Ani bracelet collection on the 16th. I've been wanting to start a little collection for months now and I decided that I was just going to do it!

There are a few things that I want to make sure I cover when I talk about these so I'm going to divide my "review" into categories so here goes!

The Packaging: I bought my bracelets from Reed's Jewelers so I'm not 100% sure if they're packaged the same everywhere, but I would assume so. Mine came in a little black box with "Alex and Ani" written in a gold metallic and on the front of the box where you pull it up to open it, it has a gold foil American flag in the shape of a heart. Not that it's the most important part, but the packaging gets a thumbs up from me, I think it's classy, cute and on trend.

Each bracelet that you get has a meaning behind the charm and comes with a card for each individual one explaining the traits of the charm. There is also a nice write up on the back going into more detail which I think is a really nice touch and something that I'll keep.

The Design: What I really like about the design of their bracelets is that they are easy to take on and off. You don't have to mess around with trying to close a clasp or a lobster claw, you don't have to ask a family member or someone at work to help you- you just adjust the size and slip them on. I definitely appreciate the simplicity of getting them on and off because I'm the type of person that won't bother with jewelry if I'm going to struggle with it.

Some of their bracelets are leather, some are beaded, some have just their classic charm. They have a lot of finish options, from the Rafaelian gold and silver that I got to shiny silver, shiny gold, gold/silver plated, gold filled, rose gold, etc. so there is something for everyone.

Also, a lot of the bracelets come with 3-4 small charms in addition to your main charm that say "made in USA", "infused with + energy", the recycle symbol because they're recycled material and if you got a special bracelet for a charity or something along those lines a charm will tell you that too. I just like them because I feel like they're neat little extras that are included.

Just in general, I think that they are simple, pretty and easy to stack together and with other pieces.

The Concept: The overall concept is sustainability, economic growth, being made in America and utilizing positive energy. Each symbol has a special meaning and is "intended to empower the wearer." I highly recommend you read their "About" page to learn more in depth about their process.

Overall: Their bracelets range in price from $25-$300 with a majority of them being around the $28 mark. I feel like the price is reasonable for a nice quality piece that's made in America. Also, I do like that they make higher quality pieces like sterling silver, 14k gold filled, etc. and of course that they help remind me to think positively. 

If you're interested in their bracelets I would recommend you go to a store before you buy online just so you can try them on and get a feel for them first. Even though my Reed's Jewelers experience was just fine, I would also recommend you try to go to an actual Alex and Ani store because Reed's doesn't have a huge selection and at mine things get sold out quickly. 

What I'm interested to see is how they are over time and whether or not they tarnish because there are a lot of restrictions with these which does make me nervous. As of right now, though, I'm pretty happy!

Let me know if you have any of these and your experience with them!