I think it could be argued that Swarovski has a better brand name compared to CZ which has a reputation for being cheap and fake. Again, the answer to the question is up to interpretation. Swarovski Crystals VS Cubic ZirconiasĪnother common perception is that Swarovski crystals are “better” than cubic zirconias (CZ). If you primarily value just the look of the product, then no since it will most likely look indistinguishable from less expensive crystals. If you think looks nice then it is worth it to you! But maybe you are asking: should I pay more for this ring with a Swarovski than this ring made with a different crystal? I would say the answer is if you value the Swarovski brand name, then yes it is worth it to be able to say it is a Swarovski. This leads us into our other common question: are Swarovski crystals worth it? The general rule of thumb for jewelry holds. We still use them in some cases and we will certainly use them if a customer requests them, but in general, they do not look any better than any other crystal on the market. It is for this reason that we here at Alamode Fashion Jewelry tend not to use Swarovskis in our products.

However, this is no longer the case and there are now many manufacturers of high-quality crystals. At one point, Swarovski did have a noticeably higher quality crystal compared to other manufacturers. They do have a valuable brand name, however, which causes them to have higher prices compared to other crystal suppliers. Swarovski crystals are non-precious lead glass meaning that the intrinsic value of the material is not very high. In this case the answer is, no, they are not. But more likely when a person asks this question, they are actually asking “are Swarovski crystals precious gems?”. Are Swarovski crystals real? Yes they are real. With that said, we can answer one common question. By the same token, diamonds are just precisely cut minerals. But just because it is “only” cut glass doesn’t mean that it’s not special. By most definitions, Swarovski crystals, and all crystals used in jewelry, are basically a form of cut glass. Well, they aren’t just any cut glass, but yes. So are you trying to tell me that Swarovski crystals are just cut glass? Swarovski crystals are faceted lead glass beads produced by the Swarovski company.

It is no surprise that diamonds naturally have an extremely high refractive index. This bending of light, along with the faceted cut faces, is what allows gems to sparkle and gives gems the “fire” that we all look for. For our purposes, you can describe a material’s refractive index as the ability of the material to bend light as light travels through it. Adding lead creates a glass with an increased refractive index. As the name implies, lead glass is when lead replaces some of the content of a more typical glass you would find in everyday life. Crystals, like Swarovski crystals, are also known as lead glass.

Swarovski crystals gems