Hey Everyone, we’re back again with some super duper value for you. Today’s post is gonna be like a Swarovski 101 because we’ve covered all the important details you should keep in mind before purchasing Swarovski jewelry for yourself. So if you’d like to find out more about this kind of jewelry or if you’d like to know if it's right for you, do read on.
The Creation Of Swarovski JewelryThe creation and rise of Swarovski crystals is quite interesting. In 1892, Daniel Swarovski invented a glass cutting machine that would allow him to cut crystals much more precisely than by hand. From then on he started prospering. After a few years, the Swarovski Company was founded in Wattens, the small town where all this technology was invented.
In 1956 he developed crystals with a shiny, rainbow color effect known as the Aurora Borealis. This was in partnership with Christian Dior. Later in 1977 the company launched its own crystal jewelry line which included watches and beautiful figurines. Right now it has partnered with amazing designers including Chanel, Louis Vitton and the like. It creates the most beautiful crystals you could ask for. It even has a museum in Austria to showcase it’s beautiful crystal artifacts.
The company has not actually revealed the exact proportions of raw materials that are required to create these crystals but they have been in business for about five whole generations.They still produce the most precisely cut crystals in the world.
The other interesting thing to note is that Swarovski crystals are not actually crystals either, they are in fact glass that are precisely cut with the patented process invented by Daniel Swarovski.
How They Are MadeThe amazing combination of Swarovskis’ secret formula and its high precision cutting is what makes these super popular world renowned crystals. Even though we don't know the proportions, the crystals are made of quartz, some natural minerals and lead. Yes! You might think that lead is a harmful substance but it’s actually said to be safe when worn in jewelry. In fact the sparkle and beauty of the crystals is from how the lead is combined with the other chemicals in the crystals.
The cutting is of course by the machine that was invented by Daniel Swarovski which is now patented. It is said to be a complicated process because it requires a very high degree of precision. After the crystals are cut, they are polished to make the final shiny end product we see. The ones with the Aurora Borealis effect need to be coated with a kind of metal to give those rainbow coloured reflections.
Swarovski Silver CrystalsSwarovski Silver Crystals are still the same glass crystals but they have a different finishing process. The process was created by one of the craftsmen in the company. The usual crystals are made with quartz, and natural minerals combined with lead. Then they are cooled down very slowly to avoid chances of any flaws. The silver shine from the surface of these crystals, caused due to the cooling process, created the illusion of the actual silver metal. Hence they are called Swarovski Silver Crystals. The company has a whole line of these silver crystal jewelry.
How to Care For Your Swarovski Jewelry
Okay now if you are planning to buy some Swarovski jewelry for yourself, you might want to know how to actually take care of them. So here are some do’s and don'ts.
Unlike diamonds and other shiny gemstones, Swarovski crystals are not that scratch resistant. So it’s probably best to store them in the packaging they come in. If you did throw away the packaging , you could cover them up in some tissue paper and store them somewhere safe. To clean them, you could use a mild soap and a soft cloth.
Again, since they are not that resistant to scratches and damages, they might not be suitable for everyday use. But if you do wear them on a daily basis, you might need to take them off when you need to do the dishes or laundry. It might be safe to take them off when you need to take a shower or at night before bed. If you do take good care, they will last long.
How To Tell If They Are RealHere’s how you can tell a real Swarovski crystal from a fake one.
The first and foremost thing is that the crystals are all identical in size because they are machine cut. The few other things to note is that there would not be any air bubbles in them and that they should shine just like diamonds. If they already have scratches on their surface and if the shine is from an oily coating, then they might be fake. The shine from the actual crystal does not look greasy. The crystals are also sold loose and not strung together.
A Cost Comparison
Okay now coming to costs, you might think that these Swarovski crystals might be super expensive because of their complicated cutting process and their brand name. But they are actually not.They are in fact cheaper than CZ stones. The cost of these crystals actually comes from the brand name itself. And it’s still very affordable. If you have a look at their website you’ll find that you could get some great looking jewelry for a few hundred dollars. You may find some charms for less than 50 dollars too. This is because the founder actually wanted to create super affordable substitutes for diamonds. And again they are actually jewelry made of glass and not precious gemstones. However the Swarovski name is huge and owning the jewelry is considered a status symbol.
How They Compare To Cubic ZirconiaSince our shop specialises in the most beautiful CZ jewelry, we absolutely need a comparison between CZ stones and Swarovski crystals. The main difference between the two is the making process. Cubic Zirconia is the crystallised form of zirconium dioxide and swarovski crystals, like we said are made by combining quartz sand, natural minerals and lead. Cubic Zirconia can be found naturally even though extremely rare. The other thing is that CZs may have some minor flaws that can happen during the production process but Swarovski Crystals are always perfect due to the patented cutting process. Again, Swarovski crystals are not really crystals or gemstones, they are actually glass whereas CZ’s even though crystals, are considered man made gemstones that can substitute diamonds.
The costs as we talked about earlier are not that different but Swarovski is still a bit cheaper than CZ stones. But you do need to consider the fact that CZs are much more durable and are almost fit for daily wear.
Swarovski has also been involved in the production of Swarovski Zirconia which is actually Cubic Zirconia which is perfected to look almost identical to a diamond. They are like more perfected CZ stones. The main mission of Swarovski was to create “a diamond for everyone” and this upgrade to Swarovski Zirconia is very much in line with the statement.
Alright, that comes to the end of today’s post. We really hope our research helped you understand Swarovski Jewelry a bit more. You do need to compare a lot of pros and cons here before making a purchase. If you think that you need to own something with the brand name then by all means make your purchase. If durability is your concern then you might need to consider other options. Have a look at some of the most sought after CZ jewelry from our shop too if you’d like.
Talk Soon! Bye!
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