A rollicking story of love, duty and leap year birthdays! Ruth accidentally apprentices young Frederic to a Pirate instead of ship's Pilot. Now he’s 21 and the time of his indenture to the Pirates is over. He is free to go off into the world seeking love and adventure--- or is he?

Add in a Pirate King... a Major General... a police Sergeant and a bevy of maidens ripe for marriage. The roller coaster tale of drama, romance and laughter has been a beloved favorite for more than a century.

Each bead and charm of The Pirates of Penzance Opera Bracelet represents a character or moment from Gilbert & Sullivan's work. Some of the most important beads and charms are described below and you can see all of the symbolic descriptions on the spiral chart photo above or to the left. Also, a story chart explaining the symbolism of the beads and charms accompanies every bracelet. Click here to see the chart.

• Frederic, the boy with a golden future is a golden bead- number beads symbolize his awkward leap year birthday. Maid Ruth is a round pink bead.
• The Pirates are aqua beads, The Pirate King a slightly larger blue and crystal bead. A Jolly Roger bead further evokes the pirate band.
• The Major General is a red, white and blue bead symbolizing the colors of the British flag. His daughters are pink flowers. Frederic’s love interest Mabel is a larger pink flower.
• Aqua millefiore beads symbolize the Pirates seeking brides for themselves. Red millefiore heart beads are the love of Mabel and Frederic.
• An aqua double cone bead is the precept followed by the pirates to let all orphans go. The same bead in black is the General’s lie about being an orphan.
• Deep blue beads indicate the Sergeant and the police.

Charms included in the bracelet include

• A pirate ship (The Pirates of Penzance)
• A wine bottle (celebrating Frederic’s birthday)
• A pirate (the Pirate King)
• A sun (“How beautifully blue the sky”)
• A jolly roger flag
• A crown (the pirates yield in Queen Victoria’s name).