Earrings, bracelets, necklaces ... I love to make them all. Swarovski® crystal beads bring sparkling colors and visual texture to my jewelry designs. Please note Swarovski® crystal tests at 21% lead.

Imported from Austria, Swarovski® crystal beads are regarded as the highest quality machine cut and polished crystal beads in the world. Swarovski® crystals are shipped from the factory in sealed packaging to importers. When you purchase Swarovski® crystals beads from a seller, the seller should be able to provide you with the name of the importer from whom they purchased the sealed packages.

Unlike other manufactured crystals and glass beads, there is no dye lot with Swarovski®. If you buy a light Siam red Swarovski® crystal bead, then go to a different store to purchase more beads, the color should match exactly. A year ago I purchased off the web 12 topaz Swarovski® crystals beads; they had shading to their coloring that didn't match the topaz beads from a dealer that I had purchased from several times over the years. I knew those 12 beads weren't Swarovski® and returned them, requesting also the return of my shipping costs, which I got once I pointed out the color difference.

Air bubbles: if you see one in the crystal bead, you know it is not Swarovski®.

You can purchase most colors of Swarovski® crystal beads with a special finish, Aurora Borealis (AB). Aurora Borealis: In costume jewelry, a term for crystal stones that have a highly iridescent surface. The effect is achieved by vapor blasting the facets of the lower part of the crystals with an invisible, micro thin metal sheet. The Swarovski® colors with AB added to the name implies one facet surface has AB finish.
When you look at the color name for a Swarovski® crystal bead:

"Rose" means no AB finish.
"Rose Aurora Borealis" or Rose (AB) means that the crystal stones have a highly iridescent surface. This special effect on the stone was created by Swarovski® in 1955 in collaboration with Christian Dior. Also known as AB and 2AB, this finish is named for the Northern Lights.