Last Updated: August 2026
Short answer: Pandora genuinely uses solid sterling silver, the same as Praise Jewels — that part is a real tie. The difference is the stones: Pandora's sparkle mostly comes from cubic zirconia and other lab-created stones, while every stone Praise Jewels sets is a natural gemstone.
Is Pandora's silver actually real?
Yes. Pandora's jewelry is genuinely made from solid sterling silver (92.5% pure) and 14k or 18k gold — this is one of the few mass-market brands where the metal claim holds up as well as a specialty brand's. On metal alone, Pandora and Praise Jewels are on equal footing.
So what's actually different?
The stones. Pandora's collections lean heavily on cubic zirconia and other man-made stones — by the brand's own materials information, natural gemstones make up a small fraction of what they use, with quartz varieties like amethyst and smoky quartz being the more common natural exceptions. Praise Jewels' entire catalog is the reverse: 100% natural gemstones, no lab-created substitutes anywhere.
Shop the Smoky Quartz Chain Drop Earrings →
Is cubic zirconia a bad thing?
Not inherently — cubic zirconia is durable (8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale), doesn't tarnish, and gives brilliant, consistent sparkle at a fraction of the cost of natural stones. It's simply a different choice: engineered brilliance and uniformity versus the individuality and lower environmental footprint of a natural stone, where no two are perfectly identical.
Which should you choose?
If uniform sparkle and Pandora's charm-bracelet customization system matter most to you, their approach makes sense. If you want the specific reassurance that every stone you're wearing formed in the earth rather than a lab, that's the gap Praise Jewels is built around.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pandora ever use natural gemstones?
Yes — quartz varieties like amethyst, smoky quartz, and rock crystal appear in some collections, alongside cultured pearls, though cubic zirconia remains their most widely used stone.
Is cubic zirconia the same as a diamond?
No — it's a lab-created diamond simulant with a different chemical structure, priced far lower than a mined or lab-grown diamond.
Does Pandora's sterling silver tarnish?
Yes, like any genuine sterling silver, it can tarnish with air exposure — this is true of both brands equally, since both use real silver.
Every gemstone in our collection is natural, set in solid 925 sterling silver — explore Amethyst and Blue Topaz pieces, and see our guide on telling natural gemstones from lab-created stones.