How can you tell if a stone is Swarovski?
Swarovski crystals are Austrian crystal stones with a special sparkle, an elegant alternative to diamonds. Even stars wear jewelry made from them. The beautiful Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” wore a dress embroidered with Swarovski crystals. The company cooperates with global fashion houses such as Dior, Chanel, D&G and Louis Vuitton. Now the family business Swarovski employs more than 25 employees, and a century and a half ago it all began simply with a dream.
Brand History
On October 24, 1862, Daniel Swarovski, the future creator of the brand, was born in Bohemia, the birthplace of legendary glass. Daniel’s father was a glass cutter, and the boy inherited his exquisite skill in cutting stones. Young Swarovski dreamed of creating diamonds that could be purchased by all lovers of beauty, regardless of income level. Swarovski invented and patented a high-precision cutting machine capable of processing glass so delicately that artificial stones begin to shine and shimmer like natural ones. And in 1892, a Swarovski crystal factory opened in Wattens, Austria. Alpine rivers flow here, and it is they that generate hydroelectric power, which powers innovative machines.
Manufacturing technology
Five generations of Swarovski family members have kept the secret of the production of Swarovski stones. This is the company’s own development, and the exact technology of these iridescent stones is still unknown. However, the basic facts are known. Initially, Swarovski is a glass containing quartz sand, sodium carbonate and lead oxide. The company allegedly adds potassium to the glass. Since 2012, Swarovski has been using advanced lead dioxide-free crystal in production, making them a completely environmentally friendly material, safe for nature and humans. Therefore, Swarovski crystals can be used to decorate underwear and children’s products. When creating stones, all components of the recipe are heated, and then the finished crystals are smoothly cooled, which protects them from even the slightest defects – this means that Swarovski stones do not have cracks or bubbles. The result is glass that is ultra-transparent and clean.
The radiance and special shine of the stones is given by cutting on the factory’s patented machines. In the 3st century, the cut and the number of angles are developed using 1955D technologies – they are capable of making shapes and edges of crystals with a special refraction angle. That’s why Swarovskis shimmer and reflect maximum light. In 1956, the factory also developed a special chemical-metal coating for crystals. And in XNUMX, together with Christian Dior, a new method of spraying metal onto a stone with the effect of the northern lights, Aurora Borealis, was invented, and the stones began to shimmer with a rainbow shine.
How to distinguish Swarovski from a fake
- Clear, clean surface: no bubbles, scratches, unevenness.
- Absolutely precise cutting, complete coincidence of edges – they converge at one point.
- There are no differences in the shade of stones within the same color range. Bright shine without a dull matte shine.
- Swarovski Strass series crystals are always laser engraved with a swan, sCs/SCS or trapezoid logo. They are marked with a code starting from the number 8. In the Swarovski Spectra series there is no such engraving, and such crystals are marked with a code starting from the number 9.
You must purchase Swarovski jewelry from an official seller, who guarantees authenticity. It’s also important to pay attention to cost. Swarovski crystals at an extremely attractive price, 2-3 times lower than in official stores, are always fake.
Where are Swarovski crystals used?
Swarovski crystals accurately and filigree imitate precious stones – emeralds, diamonds, rubies, and jewelry made from them can be combined with any style of clothing. SWAROVSKI earrings, pendants, and other jewelry are constantly worn by stars on the red carpet of festivals, events, and the Oscars: they are worn by the feminine Jessica Alba and Angelina Jolie, the strict Naomi Campbell, the outrageous Madonna, etc.
Swarovski produces two main lines:
- SWAROVSKI STRASS® Advanced Crystal is a range of quality lead-free crystal glass according to ISO IWA08. Meets the highest classification according to the European Crystal Directive. Used in both jewelry and luxury lighting fixtures.
- SPECTRA® CRYSTAL – crystal with an excellent price-quality ratio is used to create lamps, chandeliers and interior decor.
Swarovski also uses 57-facet Swarovski Pure Brilliance Cut zirconium in some jewelry. It is superior in brilliance and brightness to cubic zirconia. It is used to create jewelry and is also included in the line for professionals.
With growing popularity, Swarovski’s range expanded: today, not only jewelry, but also phone cases, sunglasses and other accessories are decorated with stones. The factory makes dresses, decorated with meshes of Swarovski stones, to order from fashion designers. So, in 1962, Marilyn Monroe wore a dress decorated with 2500 crystals for President Kennedy’s birthday. Swarovski stones can be seen in films: for example, they were worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Due to the amazing precision of light reflection and clarity of edges, Swarovski crystals are used not only in decoration, but also in road lighting systems, abrasive tools, optics and other industries.
Care rules to make stones shine longer
To ensure that jewelry with Swarovski crystals shines and delights you for a long time, you should follow the following care rules:
- Always remove them before swimming or washing your face. Soapy water and other cleaning products will damage the special coating on the stones.
- Avoid getting creams, oils and other cosmetics on your jewelry.
- You can use mild detergents and a cloth to clean your crystals. The jewelry is washed with clean water and dried with a towel.
The difference between cubic zirconia and Swarovski crystal is one of the most popular topics of discussion among fans of inexpensive jewelry imitations. Both stones have earned unquestioned authority, although they are synthesized by somewhat similar laboratory methods. Artificially grown gems have even come to be called “diamonds of the future” – they are so good at transmitting the refraction of light when properly polished and intricately cut.
Let’s look at the general points, how cubic zirconia differs from Swarovski, what unique properties each type of crystal has, and whether it is possible to distinguish them at home.
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What came first: cubic zirconia or Swarovski? Production technology
Daniel Swarovski, the founding father of the legendary brand, began to actively reform the world of jewelry in 1889, when at the World Exhibition in Paris his company presented the first ever cutting machine powered by electricity. True, she only polished blanks made of rock crystal, which later became rhinestones.
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Cubic zirconia is the brainchild of Soviet scientists who, in 1970, managed to synthesize zirconium dioxide into a crystalline body that is as close as possible to diamond in its properties. Even the name of the substance is an abbreviation for the Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences, in whose laboratories discoveries are still being made that change the understanding of artificially grown stones.
A little later, the Swarovski brand launched the production of its cubic zirconia, which in Europe was labeled “cubic zirconium” due to the molecular structure of the crystal. They differ in composition from Soviet and Russian ones – the addition of lead slightly changes the spectrum of light refraction, the stones literally shine with a rainbow reflection even in low light.
Important: To avoid confusion, the manufacturer has separated ordinary glass rhinestones from more expensive imitations into subsidiary brands. Thus, the first include inlays produced under the Swarovski Crystal brand; they are much cheaper and are used in premium jewelry. But the branded analogue of our cubic zirconia in the West is known as Swarovski Zirconia – they are inserted exclusively into jewelry made of gold and silver.
How to distinguish a Swarovski crystal from cubic zirconia?
It is quite difficult to carry out an examination at home, but there are several obvious nuances that distinguish the two artificial minerals from each other:
- Swarovski crystals produced in recent decades are often branded – on one of the faces there is a logo, which can be seen with a magnifying glass of 12x or higher magnification.
- Cubic zirconias have more natural colors, even if they leave the factory tinted. Although most stones are colorless, like diamonds, they can be pink or blue.
- The same applies to cuts – they try to make stones produced in Russia as conservative as possible, close to classical forms.
- Austrian jewelers have patented their proprietary Pure Brilliance cutting technique. Thanks to it, a spectrum that plays in the sun is formed, which cubic zirconia does not have.
