COPENHAGEN, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Danish jewellery maker Pandora (PNDORA.CO) said on Monday preliminary results showed record sales in the fourth quarter, fuelled by a strong U.S. market. Pandora, the world"s largest jewellery maker by production capacity, said sales totalled 9.0 billion Danish crowns ($1.37 billion) in the fourth quarter, above the 8.4 billion expected by analysts in a poll gathered by the company. Operating profit stood at 2.7 billion crowns between October and December, above the expected 2.5 billion. Sales for the full year grew 23% to a record 23.4 billion. "We are very pleased with the results in 2021," said Chief Executive Officer Alexander Lacik in a statement. "Pandora has returned to growth, and we deliver all time high revenue. It is encouraging that we see broad-based growth." In the United States, its key market, organic sales grew 18% in the fourth quarter. For the whole of 2021, organic sales grew 23% globally, compared with the 18-20% guided in November, when the company lifted full-year guidance for the third time. A low single digit percentage of Pandora"s more than 2,600 physical stores were temporarily closed during the fourth quarter due to coronavirus lockdown measures, it said. "Furthermore, physical stores in a number of markets were negatively impacted by other restrictions, not least in China," the company said. The company is due to publish a full set of results on Feb. 9. ($1 = 6.5667 Danish crowns)