In today's world more than ever people are bargain hunting at craft shows and re-sale shops for that perfect buy. While many crafters are honest hard working people, many don't know the difference in between crystal brands. Others mislabel to entice customers with flea market pricing. Here are some helpful facts to help you make the best purchases and get what you are paying for.
The refractive index (what makes it shiny) is elevated because of lead content. Polishing this material with fire changes the finish and increases sparkle. Some colors, especially reds and purples cost much more due to lead content and production costs.
The leaders in industry:
Swarovski ® has been in business for more than 100 years in Austria, and now operate in about 170 countries. They have perfected their technique and manufacture crystals that are the world's standard for quality in their products. Their product is machine cut, and is very, very, precise. They have consistent quality in dimensions and the kind of faceting that is used. Real Swarovski® crystals shine from inside of the crystal, and not on the surface. Many of their items have multiple layers of color with in the facets. AB polished items, or fire polished as many know them, have intensive reflections. While sometimes they have color lots that were dyed incorrectly, they do not typically have any miss cuts or miss drills to buy. Odd lots mistakes are always labeled as such and oddly enough are in high demand for that limited edition. If a hole in a crystal bead seems off or a regular bead cut such as a bi-cone bead seems to have mistakes, chances are it is a knock off.
Here is an example of Swarovski material.
Notice that these crystals reflect from inside and have a up and down reflection pattern. All are cut exactly the same. Only Swarovski ® and high caliber crystal companies have this kind of internal shine. You will also note that the quality of findings, (parts that you make jewelry with besides the beads) is also very high. Most often in sterling or sterling filled.
Precoisa Crystal ® is a brand that comes from the Czech Republic and is the leader in Czech Crystal quality and components. This crystal is beautiful and worth purchasing, but has a very different reflective quality from other breads. Precoisa ® is machine cut also. Common designs such as heart charms or bi-cones with major production flaws are not generally sold. QC is very high with the two a fore mentioned companies.
Here is a pic of some work done with Precoisa ®. Notice that it has color and great cuts, but the reflective surface is on the exterior of the bead. The first example is cut. The second is reflections.
notice the surface reflections
Celestial Crystals® and Starlight Crystals® are carried by many beading shops, online stores, and even retail stores. They are generally pretty and usable, but they cut with the different techniques and have at times inconsistencies in color and shape that can be hard to ignore for crafters and for buyers. The words "Chinese cut crystal" are a clue for quality as well in any crystal product. Please notice the ends of these beads and the dimensions, in the picture below. Some bi-cones in the example have very pointy ends and others dull. This is not something you will find with top makers. They are also at times off in color lots because the dying techniques vary and color quality can suffer. I do use them in my work for run of the mill bracelets and in "kiddie bling", but they are always labeled so my customers know what they are getting. The price also reflects the difference. No surprises!
German Crystal and Egyptian Crystals are of good quality but have been cut with a different technique than Austrian and Czech crystal. Egyptian crystals are made with German techniques. Asfour® is a good quality brand. Their baroque crystal pendants tend to be stunning. Some are cut by hand, but have a very high quality and are worth the value. Here are some hand cuts on a round bead. They have a slightly different kind of faceting, but you can see that they are indeed a quality item. The tip - they are not perfectly round and have a wide surface to the faceting. While it has an interior shine like its Austrian cousin, the hand cutting changes the way you see the spectrum.
Although not as expensive, the quality is very high.
Here is a little help with materials in general.
Acrylic material is light weight, often has little pieces that show they were pressed and have a tendency to get scratched on the surface. AB finish is painted on chemically. Weight is usually the easiest way to tell as many companies are making high quality "crystal like" beads. High Quality acrylic is a good product, but the price is much lower than in crystal.
Plain glass does not have the shine or the shimmer effects that crystals have. Many glass bi-cones are not faceted and have a dull finish. Glass can be pretty, but the buying price is not as high as Austrian crystals and the details in cuts can be muddled in a press like acrylic.
Real crystals come from many countries, but quality and technique are what make the real value. Even Chinese Crystal is real, but again it is the final result that you are paying for.
Some merchants make mistakes, but many people use "Swarovski® " as a buzz word for "crystal". Especially pieces that contain bi-cones, a cut made popular by Austrian companies. If your crafter can't tell you where they bought the crystals, you may want to think before spending a lot on something. If the surface reflection doesn't seem right to you, you should point it out. Any good and honest crafter can tell you where they buy their stock and at times product details. It is often ingrained into their minds. I buy products from 8 different companies. I can tell you where I bought each item because all hardcore crafters tend to be loyal to their product suppliers to keep their own products consistent. I hope that you have found this information helpful. Here is an address to my online store.
https://squareup.com/market/josephine-m-dalton
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