What are Swarovski cubic zirconias and how does a stone differ from a diamond and glass?

What is Swarovski cubic zirconia

Swarovski cubic zirconia stones are made from cubic zirconia. These are well-known artificial stones that imitate precious ones. The gem looks like a diamond. Only an experienced jeweler can distinguish the original from the imitation. Diamond has:

• tiny inclusions;
• slightly grayish or yellowish tint.

Swarovski gems are used in making jewelry. It has higher dispersion (play of light). The only thing in which a gem is inferior to a diamond is hardness.

The diamond cut of cubic zirconia allows you to give the stone a dazzling shine and highlight its best characteristics.

The gem was first created in the USSR. Its name contains the abbreviation of the Institute “FIAN”, where the mineral was produced. A little later, Daniel Swarovski invented his own method of developing gems, after which he launched the “SWAROVSKI ZIRCONIA” line.

What does a product with crystals look like:

What colors does crystal come in?

Cubic zirconia is known under this name mostly in Russia. Abroad, the artificial gem is called “cubic zirconium” and is labeled as SWAROVSKI ZIRCONIA.

The gem acquires its color mainly due to the additional coating. It maintains purity and does not lose transparency. These qualities are required for samples marked as SWAROVSKI ZIRCONIA.

Classic Swarovski gems are characterized by a transparent, colorless appearance. But artificial minerals can have different shades depending on the added substances. The most popular among the varieties of Swarovski cubic zirconia:

1. Green. With added chrome. Used as an imitation of emeralds.
2. Rubies replace red stones. The effect is achieved using neodymium.
3. Cerium will help acquire yellow and orange shades.
4. Erbium creates stones with pink tones.
5. Cubic zirconia in dark shades is less common. To create it, heat treatment is used with the addition of certain elements.
6. The golden color is obtained using titanium impurities.
7. Blue, cyan, and violet stones are created by spraying an aluminum-cobalt mixture on the surface.

View this post on Instagram

Posted by SHINE | Silver jewelry (@sverkai.ru) Sep 9, 2018 at 8:08 PDT

Rhinestone market without Swarovski

Recently, information was published about a radical change in Swarovski's strategy. This includes the reduction of 6,000 jobs and the closure of 30% of retail stores.

This is the most ambitious transformation yet for the 125-year-old Austrian crystal manufacturer.

Let me remind you that the company, founded in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski, employs more than 34,000 people. The brand's crystals and other products are sold in 170 countries.

CEO Robert Buchbauer is pushing ahead with a new plan to grow the business. This is limiting activity in the consumer goods market and concentrating on more expensive jewelry.

The suggestion that Swarovski is leaving the market is not entirely true. The idea is to reduce the product offering by making it exclusive.

Production technology

Swarovski cubic zirconias are artificial stones that combine oxygen and zirconium in their composition. They are made in laboratories in two ways:

1. In a chamber with a pressure of up to 60 kilobars and a temperature of 1400–1600 °C, artificial minerals up to 1 carat are grown over 5 days.
2. Chemical deposition. The most common method is microwave plasma deposition using a mixture of methane and hydrogen gases.

How to distinguish a stone from a diamond and glass

Swarovski cubic zirconias (SWAROVSKI ZIRCONIA) have very different properties from crystals (SWAROVSKI CRYSTALL) made from glass from the same company:

• sparkle much brighter than glass crystals;
• they are much stronger, more durable, and do not scratch;
• resistant to external factors (household chemicals, sunlight).

Based on the advantages of artificial cubic zirconia over crystals, it becomes clear that cubic zirconias look more impressive in jewelry and are more reliable in handling. But it should be remembered that the price for such imitations is more expensive. Swarovski crystals are often used as a material for decorative elements.

And if you compare it with a cheap glass fake, the differences will be striking. The counterfeit does not shimmer in the light, the edges are not made perfectly, chips and fine dust are possible.

The gem can easily be confused with an expensive diamond. Differences between artificial diamonds:

1. If you look at the light through the mineral, you will only be able to discern a bright point in the center in the diamond; cubic zirconia will scatter the light.
2. Run the stone across the glass. A diamond will leave a scratch on it, cubic zirconia will not.
3. If you breathe on the sample, no condensation will form on the organic stone.

Watch the video on the topic:

Women's watch SWAROVSKI Daytime Blue, art.5213977

Good evening everyone, Moscow time. My review will be short, the review will be on Swarovski women's watches. The item was bought with my own money, bought as a gift. Therefore, naturally, there will be no mechanical analysis. Everything that will be said is my personal subjective opinion and impression. I'm not an expert in watches, my eye and brain pointed to these when choosing. I will explain why this color is below. Why did I order in Hong Kong - I just couldn’t find this color from other sellers...

A few words about the company.

Swarovski AG is an Austrian company specializing in the production of loose crystals, jewelry, crystal figurines and the cutting of synthetic and natural gemstones. The company also produces optical equipment and ready-made lamps and chandeliers. All Swarovski branded products are manufactured by Swarovski AG, located in Wattens, Austria. The society of collectors of brand products was founded back in 1987. By the way, there were no Swarovski watches then. Their production started in the 90s.

Swarovski watches are mainly for women. The abundance of crystals does not suggest male models, and without Swarovski rhinestones it is not Swarovski.

Daniel made the brand famous for its imitation diamonds. The master made a special crystal, adding about 36% lead oxide to it.

Some clients of the brand ironically say that its reputation is as pure as a white swan. This bird is the company emblem.

To be honest, I didn’t dig much information specifically on this model, but judging by the articles, they have been produced since 2000.

The watch arrived in this packaging:

Op

I played around a little with the filters in the photo, if anyone doesn't like it, sorry.

The seller offered me to pay extra and send them by EMS, to which I replied that I had already paid a decent amount for delivery, and regular track mail would be enough. And it was right, the watch arrived in 2 weeks.

Interior:

Note from the seller:

There was a gift bag inside the box. It’s not clear why it’s not the size of a watch box, apparently it should be viewed this way: the package is a package, and not a gift box for a watch. Although the box fits in there, the shape of the package is not entirely harmonious.

Next we see the cardboard packaging box:

Opening:

Here it is, the gift box:

Pleasant structure of the box material, slightly rough, similar to structural vinyl, on the lid there is a logo and name class=”aligncenter” width=”800″ height=”531″[/img]

Open, you need to pull up:

Here is the clock, finally:

Vendor code:

You know, this is the moment when an item looks really cooler than in the seller’s photo. This model is sold in different color variations, but I bought the blue ones. Firstly, this color harmonizes perfectly with basel crystals and does not get lost on the hand (unlike, for example, beige varant). Secondly, Basel here is polished steel and not gilded, and my wife wears only white gold and silver, which goes well with jewelry. Well, thirdly, I just liked this kind of watch, that’s all.

Characteristics:

Watch collection: Daytime Type: women's Case material: stainless steel Size (mm): 34 Mechanism: Quartz Strap: genuine leather Watch strap length (cm): 21 Glass: Sapphire Number of crystals: 48 Water resistance (m): 30

In the photographs, the protective film has not been removed from the glass. The photographs were taken at the time of unpacking after purchase, and I wanted to preserve the authenticity until the moment of delivery.

Yes, I really like this watch. Laconic design, moderately strict, elegant. They sparkle amazingly in the light. By the way, the crystals are not protected by glass, and converge on the outside along the circle of the base.

The winding slider is located like all watches, everything seems to be classic. To set the time, you need to press it until it clicks, and then after setting it back, press it until it clicks:

It also depicts a swan:

Due to the silvery basel, the crystals seem even a little larger than they actually are:

The strap is beyond praise. I don’t even know what to say here. The seams are even, the leather is thick. I think the strap is the right width.

The back cover of the watch, engraved swans form like flower buds:

My wife has a narrow wrist, and when ordering I paid attention to the size of the watch, of course I was afraid that it might be too big, but everything is really good! Photo on the right hand (my wife wears it this way, she’s left-handed):

Insum. What I want to say is that the watch is ideal for both everyday use (work, leisure) and some festive events. They definitely attract the eye, play very beautifully in the light, and of course accurately show the time. Over the course of two months, no deviations in accuracy were noticed.

Properties and applications of cubic zirconia

Gems have the following features:

• up to 20 shades of color palette;
• absence of inclusions, uniform color;
• diamond cut;
• hardness on the Mohs scale 7–8 points;
• poor electrical conductivity;
• unpretentiousness to conditions, resistance to high temperatures and other unfavorable factors.

Stones are used not only in jewelry, but also in the chemical industry. The refractoriness and strength of the stone make it possible to make special containers from it and use it as a material for various devices.

The aesthetic appearance of the stone in jewelry and its radiance make it a wonderful addition to a woman’s wardrobe.

Looking for an alternative

Rhinestones were invented by the Austrian jeweler Georg Strass in the 18th century. He obtained glass with a high lead content (lead crystal) and used it in the production of costume jewelry that imitated diamonds. Due to the properties of the chemical composition, this material had a high refractive index. This gave the precious jewelry shine and play of light on the edges.

Today there are only 2 manufacturers offering crystal components. Not glass, plastic, but crystal with all its optical properties and exclusivity.

These are Swarovski and Preciosa.

Accordingly, it would be wise to consider Czech jewelry as an analogue of Swarovski crystals.

The stones have a huge color palette. Most colors are available in pure form, with AB coating and effects. The crystals are absolutely identical in size. This means that all stones of the same size from one pack will be equal to the same stones from another pack.

Adhesive rhinestones

Adhesive rhinestones are the most popular category of crystals. These are stones for cold (No hot fix) and hot fixation (Hot fix).

Swarovski's most common article numbers are 2028/2038/2058/2078/2088.

For the Czech manufacturer, this is article number 43111612/43111612HF for VIVA12 and 41311615/41311615HF for Maxima crystals.

The color palette of crystals from these manufacturers matches the basic classic colors.

Sew on Rhinestones

Sew-on stones are produced in a variety of shapes and colors. These are ovals, rectangles, squares, pershapes, slander, space, galaxies, octagons. These are stones with a flat base and several holes for sewing.

Rhinestones in DACs

The stones that are inserted into the frames are gem-cut crystals with a conical bottom. Due to the larger number of facets, they resemble precious stones. They can be sewn on if there are holes in the frame, or glued.

Jewelry inserts

Jewelry inserts (Fancy Stone) are stones consisting of a crystal, with a voluminous base, and, often, a metal frame. Sewn to the product through small holes in the DAC. There are a huge number of sizes, colors and shapes.

Beads

Beads have different shapes and a wide range of colors. There is also coating AB (on one side) and 2AB (on both sides), coatings with effects on one and two sides. Craftsmen choose crystal beads for their flawless and precious shine.

Crystal pearl

Crystal pearls are a special type of decorative component. It is based on a crystalline core covered with several layers of mother-of-pearl.

Various shapes are available - round, oblong, pear-shaped, with a flat base, in a frame.

One of the most attractive features of pearls is that they come in over 50 stunning colors and shades, ranging from classic mother-of-pearl to metallic and gold effects.