Swarovski Pearls: Look like real ones, aren't they?

My latest obsession when it comes to jewelry making lately is the Swarovski Pearl. It looks like real pearls, weigh and feels like one too. And here is one of the pearl necklace that I made. Notice how the pearls shine and how lovely the color is. The color is powder rose.

A close up picture of the pendant and the lovely pearls. The chain is silver plated actually. I didn't use real silver since this one is just for practice.
Here is another close up of the necklace. See how adorable the color is? Honestly, I can't wait to wear this to dinner. It'll look right at home with my white dress. A touch of powder rose pearl to lighten up the night!

Swarovski Crystal Pearl

The Swarovski Crystal Pearl looks exactly like the real pearl. Each Swarovski Crystal Pearl is created around a crystal core, hence the name Crystal Pearl. This crystal core gives the pearl its ideal weight and combined with the Swarovski Pearl coating it causes each Crystal Pearl to glow from within. The pearl coating developed by Swarovski is applied around the crystal core in pearly layers. The high specific gravity of a raw pearl made of crystal gives the Swarovski Crystal Pearl the same weight as a cultured pearl.

The picture above is an example of a Swarovski Crystal Pearl bracelet that I just made. A simple one with gold plated rondelles. I use the elastic string so to wear it you could just slide it on!

Swarovski Crystal Color Chart

The best thing about Swarovski crystal is it got a variety of gorgeous color selections. And here I have the Swarovski crystal color chart. See how beautiful the colors are. My favorites are the Fuchsia and the sapphire. What’s yours? Oh, and the chart may look too small, but click on it so you can view the larger image.

Also, some colors come with the normal ones and the AB ones. AB stands for Aurora Borealis. The AB crystals have the rainbow effects which gives the crystal different looks under different lights and angles. Pictures below shows different between the normal color and the AB. Both groups are from the same color group. The different is the right ones are the AB crystals. See the rainbow effects on it?
Here’s another sample. This one is difference between the normal Fuchsia and the Fuchsia AB. The left ones are the Fuchsia AB.
Usually the ones that has AB the effect will cost slightly more than the normal ones. But hey, if it’s that pretty it’s definitely worth it!

Swarovski Crystal

Honestly, other than the fact that Swarovski Crystal makes gorgeous jewelry, I don’t really care about the history and what the crystal contain of. To me, as long as it pretty and useful, it’s all good. But then one day a friend of mine started asking me about how long has Swarovski crystal been around and right then I was a little embarrassed of myself for being so ignorant. So, I Google up facts about Swarovski and I thought I’d share with all my readers…

Anyway, here is a brief description about Swarovski crytal that I took from Wikipedia.org

Swarovski crystal was first created when Daniel Swarovski invented an automatic cutting machine in 1892. In 1895 the Swarovski company was founded when he established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens. Here he could take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes he had patented.

Swarovski crystal contains approximately 32% lead to maximize refraction. The Swarovski Crystal range includes crystal sculptures and miniatures, jewelry and couture, home decor and chandeliers. They also sell beads and rhinestones, encouraging other manufacturers, artists and consumers to create their own designs.

All sculptures are marked with a logo. The original Swarovski logo was an edelweiss flower, but was replaced with the current swan logo in 1988.

In order to create a crystal that allows light to refract in a rainbow spectrum, Swarovski coats some of its crystals with special metallic chemical coatings. Aurora Borealis, or "AB", is one of the most popular coatings, and gives the surface a rainbow oil slick appearance. Other coatings include Crystal Transmission, Volcano, Aurum, and Dorado. Coatings may be applied to only part of an object; others are coated twice, and thus are designated AB 2X, Dorado 2X etc.

In 2004 Swarovski released Xilion, a new copyrighted cut designed to optimise the brilliance of Roses (crystal components with flat backs) and Chatons (diamond cut). Also in 2004, Swarovski created the 9 foot diameter, 550 pound star that tops the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City for the first of five consecutive years.

And thanks to Mister Daniel Swarovski, we now have beautiful, glittering and affordable components to work with to make jewelries. Seriously, Swarovski beads are my favorite. They simply create an elegant look for those who are wearing it.