Swarovski vs. Preciosa Crystals

Many retailers of Swarovski crystals are actually selling Preciosa crystals rather than genuine Swarovski. There are some differences.

Swarovski and Preciosa use different methods to produce their crystals. Preciosa uses a machine cut on its crystals where Swarovski uses a hand cut for their crystals. Another difference is that Swarovski stones are produced in Austria and Preciosa are produced in the Czech Republic. Preciosa crystals have fewer facets than Swarovski and only recently came out with the 12-facet crystals. Swarovski crystals use a 14-facet crystal for the hot fix crystals. In some other countries, Preciosa crystals are called Swarovski, when in fact they are not genuine Swarovski crystals. Swarovski crystals tend to weigh more than the competitors do since they put more lead (the safe lead, see our blog ) in their crystals. They use 32% lead in their crystals which combined with all of the facets, makes them sparkle more. Swarovski crystals also take “wear and tear” better than other brands.

You can rest assured that all of our Swarovski Products are genuine crystalized Swarovski crystals.

I dont know about you, but I have enough crafting ”stuff” to keep track of. I prefer to keep my “Hot Fix Crystal” patterns on my computer and use the dot to dot method. Choose the design on your computer screen and print it out. Thats it, this is your stencil. Just like the  patterns that Glitz Hot Fix Crystals sells here  Just print out your pattern. Adjust the size if you wish and move or take away from the pattern. Simply place the paper pattern over the project. Use a marking pen to poke through the paper and onto the project. The marks from glitz marking pen  can be removed with water. .

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Recently, there has been an increased regulatory focus on potential human exposure to lead from various consumer products, including jewelry. We hope that our customers will find this overview of current requirements applicable to lead in jewelry and other products useful. Recognizing that the regulatory landscape is rapidly changing, however, it remains the responsibility of our business customers to assure that their use of crystal in jewelry and other products is consistent with all applicable requirements.

How is lead in crystal different from lead in other products? Crystal has unique properties. The crystal manufacturing process creates a matrix, which inhibits the mobility of lead. Because of this structure, lead crystal poses no significant risk of excessive lead exposure to human health via surface contact (hand to mouth), mouthing or even ingestion. By contrast, lead in other materials that might be used in jewelry, such as coatings, metal or plastic, may be accessible to consumers. That is why some regulatory bodies, like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), have focused on children’s metal jewelry and surface coatings, and not crystal.

Has crystal been tested to assess the potential for lead exposure? Swarovski crystals have been tested under a variety of test methods for extractable lead, including the CPSC’s Standard Operating Procedure for Determining Lead (Pb) and Its Availability in Children’s Metal Jewelry, ASTM F963-03 (the standard on accessible lead in toys), and EN 71/3 (the European standard for lead in toys). Test conditions and procedures do vary, but lead levels are well below regulatory limits even when the crystal is tested in an acid solution to maximize the release of lead.

What are the current national limits applicable to lead in crystal jewelry? The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 was signed into law by President Bush on August 14, 2008. According to this law, the age of a child has been defined as 12 and under. All products for a child are required to have less than 600ppm lead by February 10, 2009 and the limit progressively decreases to 300ppm within 1 year and 100ppm within 3 years, if feasible. The CPSC does not have any restrictions on the use of crystal in adult jewelry; therefore, this would only be relevant to products intended for children as defined above.

Do state limits apply to crystal jewelry? The CPSIA includes language that prevents states from passing their own lead limits on children’s products. The states that had legislation in place prior to the Federal Act passing will now defer to the national standard. Certain states that have legislation referencing lead in adult products would not be affected by the CPSIA.

What is Swarovski doing? Swarovski will try to keep you informed of actions that affect your use of our products. Recognizing that the regulatory landscape changes often, it remains the responsibility of our business customers to assure that their use of crystal in jewelry and other products is consistent with all applicable requirements.