What's the Difference? Swarovski Crystal Beads or Glass Beads?

Faceted Glass Beads

Did you know typical glass beads don't contain lead or only minimal traces of it? But when lead is added to the equation and you've got crystal, the amount of lead can be as small as 1% to be considered crystal in the jewelry making world, but how much lead it contains also determines it's quality. The more lead, the higher the quality. Did you know that Swarovski crystal contains at least 30% lead or more? Making it the highest quality crystal worldwide.

Faceted Swarovski Crystals

 Lead adds weight to glass, lead is also what makes crystal reflect light. The higher the lead content, the more light and colors it reflects. The light-reflecting quality of plain glass pales in comparison to Swarovski crystal. Unlike glass beads, Swarovski crystals are uniform in shape in size. They are cut with precision and polished using high-tech machines also used to cut gemstones. These machines use a process similar to diamond cutting to facet the crystal, which ensures no bubbles or scratches are left inside the bead.




I really had no idea what huge differences there were in these two beautiful types of beads before starting jewelry making. I have come to love both the colors and qualities of glass and crystal beads, I really enjoy using both elements in my pieces. I hope this blog has shed some "light" on this subject for you.