Coming from a ‘90s kid-turned-adult (a kidult, if you will) who read Harry Potter when it first came to the U.S. 21 years ago, Alex and Ani’s Harry Potter bangles are the equivalent of taking your favorite book quotes and turning them into AIM away messages for all the world to see.
The jewelry company Alex and Ani first debuted their Harry Potter collection in 2017 with 11 limited-edition pieces, which has since grown to include more than four dozen rings, bracelets, necklaces, and pins, with an exclusive new charm bangle dropping every month.
The bangles come in an assortment of silver, gold, and rose gold colors in either shiny or “Rafaelian” (aka fake tarnished) finishes and they’re expandable, making it really easy to slide them on and off. Each bracelet features a single Harry Potter-themed pendant. The pendants range from 3-D symbols such as the sorting hat and the Deathly Hallows symbol to dangling circular charms emblazoned with iconic quotes from the books and movies.
I received my first Alex and Ani bracelets as a Christmas gift this past December: the silver Expecto Patronum set of three (one with a charm that says Expecto Patronum and Swarovski crystals for some *~pizazz~*, one with Harry’s silver stag Patronus and Swarovski crystals for *~even more pizazz~*, and one with icy blue glass beads to match the other two bangles). Just over two months later and I now own a total of 10 Alex and Ani bracelets so be warned that they are ADDICTING.
I am a fan of the way the bangles contain only one charm each because it gives you more control over how you want to wear them (some days you can wear one bracelet by itself, other days you can mix and match multiples) instead of getting dragged down by one clunky charm bracelet with 50 charms on it. I also prefer the dangling circular charms to the 3-D ones because they look elegant and uniform when you stack more than one together and they give off a satisfying tingling noise when you move your arm.
There are funny little details that fans will die over, such as a single white sock on the “Dobby Is Free” charm, the cabinet/the Boggart’s hiding place on the “Riddikulus“ charm, and the double sided “Mischief Managed” charm with one side quoting “I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good” and the other side responding with “Mischief Managed” featuring little footprints, just like on the Marauder’s Map. There are also so many bracelets to choose from that it’s likely you’ll be able to rep your favorite character in some way (Shoutout to Sirius Black. And Dumbledore. And Ron Weasley. Okay I love them all).
The way the jewelry is packaged is a treat unto itself. Each bangle come in little Harry Potter/Warner Bros. branded cardboard keepsake box perfect for storing little trinkets if you’re a hoarder like myself. Each bangle also comes attached to a big cardboard tag featuring a quote that will give you all the feels (and coincidently is the perfect size for a bookmark when you’re rereading the series). Exhibit A: The tag that comes with the “Always” bracelet says “After all this time? – Albus Dumbledore.” ? Okay, now I’m crying.
Even after J.K. Rowling killed everyone you ever knew and loved, your favorite characters can live on with these Alex and Ani bracelets.
