Nothing cheers us up quite as much as a bit of bling in our lives.
As we can’t always afford diamonds and gems we offer you a variety of wonderful alternatives that will make you sparkle at a prices that will make you smile.
 | Swarovski is the brand name for a luxury range of precision-cut crystal glass and related products produced by Swarovski AG, Austria. Daniel Swarovski was born in northern Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was a glass cutter and it was in his father’s factory that Daniel served his apprenticeship. In 1892 he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of crystal glass.
In 1895, two Austrian financiers founded the company using Daniel Swarovski's expertise at glass-cutting and his family name.
The Swarovski Crystal range includes crystal sculptures, miniatures, jewellery, home décor and, of course, the wonderful crystal beads and components that we love to use in our beading.
Swarovski Components Colour Chart (PDF-file 931 Kb)
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 | Preciosa is the brand name for a luxury range of precision-cut lead crystal glass and related products produced in Jablonec nad Nisou in the Czech Republic.
The first glassmaking kiln was fired up in Bohemia 1376. In 1576 individual glassmakers combined resources to create the first glassmaking factory and soon Bohemia took over as the glass heart of Europe. In the early 18th Century the secrets of crystal cutting and polishing came to northern Bohemia. Soon they were exporting crystal chandeliers to all the royal courts of Europe and beyond. The Preciosa brand name was first registered in 1915 and in 1945 the seven main crystal factories in and around Jablonec nad Nisou merged together, forming the Preciosa Group.
Both Swarovski and Preciosa produce “fully leaded” crystal which means that they contain a minimum of 30% lead oxide.
The Bohemian glass industry was also known for its ability to copy more expensive beads and gems and thanks to this skill, we are now able to enjoy the sparkle of Czech Fire Polished Crystals. These machine faceted, then fire polished glass beads come in an amazing array of sizes, shapes, colours and coatings.
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Chinese Crystal
For glass to earn the appellation “crystal” it needs the addition of at least 8% lead oxide during the manufacturing process. The more lead, the harder the result and the better the wear and the light refracting properties.
China is now offering cost effective alternatives to those mentioned above. They offer a wide variety of crystal beads with lead content ranging from 8%, 12% and 24%. These are ideal for anyone wanting to add larger sparkles without breaking the bank. |
