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Swarovski vs. Preciosa

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bead...@gmail.com

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Jun 24, 2008, 9:22:13 AM6/24/08
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1. Looking for a source for Preciosa beads for a good price.

2. Swarovski vs. Preciosa? From what I have heard, they are both
machine cut, lead based crystal. Is this true? at preciosa.com they
say in the PDF "Preciosa is one of the world's leading producers of
crystal" Does that mean they may possibly be a manufacturer of
Swarovski?

Clueless on Preciosa is anyone has a little background.

Thanks.

Maren at google

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Jun 24, 2008, 11:56:03 AM6/24/08
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I have a wholesaler for Preciosa, but I only have a few selected
ones.

Swarovski crystals are made by Swarovski, in Austria. Preciosa
crystals
are made in the Czech Republic. I'd think Preciosa is Swarovski's
main
competitor and the other way 'round, but I don't think their market is
quite
the same.

And there are no 2AB Preciosa crystals that I have found (I have a
customer who insists on 2AB).

Not a whole lot, but HTH.

Aloha,
Maren
HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry
http://www.hilobeads.com/
Blog at: http://hilobeads.blogspot.com/

bead...@gmail.com

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Jun 25, 2008, 9:48:21 AM6/25/08
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> HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelryhttp://www.hilobeads.com/
> Blog at:http://hilobeads.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Maren.

Do they make a big price difference for you?

Maren at google

unread,
Jun 25, 2008, 4:58:34 PM6/25/08
to

Preciosa is quite a bit less expensive, but for the time being I'll
stick
with Swarovski.

Christina Peterson

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Jun 27, 2008, 6:44:50 PM6/27/08
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The thing to remember about Swarovski, from Austria, is that they have a
long history of making optical glass -- gun sights, binoculars, huge
telescopes, etc -- so they are not just makers of pretty beads. And this
history is evident in the way their glass (leaded crystal) is ground, and
also is the quality of light and color in their crystals.

Especially I like their "googy" colors (Old childhood word for,
unsurprisingly, colors that are not bright and clear. You know, like "googy
green" would be olive). Anyway, their "satins" are greyed, yet still have
brilliance, and are perfect with boro.

I have Preciosas, from Czech, too, and they are similar in quality in that
you don't get poorly cut ones or strange color lots and they have nice clear
colors. But they don't have nearly as many colors. They have sapphire and
fuchsia, eg, but not the more interesting colors like Indicolite or light
Olivine.

I especially like is a milky AB (can't remember what it's called), that has
more substance than the clear, which can kind of look like an empty spot in
the jewelry. I like the Satin Light Colorado Topaz the best. It is great
against the skin. Warm with "antiqued" silver. Way on the grey side of
brown/topaz, though, for those of us who don't do brown or amber colors
well. And again it has enough color not to look like an empty spot in a
necklace.

So I get the Preciosa in the more common colors because it costs less, but
usually I get Swarovski because I like the colors better.

Tina


<bead...@gmail.com> wrote in message
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Heather

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Jun 27, 2008, 10:41:23 PM6/27/08
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Hi Tina...

"Christina Peterson" <tinap...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:48656d5d$1...@news.acsalaska.net...


>
> Especially I like their "googy" colors (Old childhood word for,
> unsurprisingly, colors that are not bright and clear. You know, like
> "googy
> green" would be olive). Anyway, their "satins" are greyed, yet still
> have
> brilliance, and are perfect with boro.

> They have sapphire and


> fuchsia, eg, but not the more interesting colors like Indicolite or
> light
> Olivine.

I love the latter two and have more of them than anything else. Also
love the Light Colorado Topaz and find that the Light Smoked Topaz is
quite close to Copper Crystal. My daughter and I make a lot of copper
jewellery. I have an eBay person here in Toronto that I get them from
at a really good price at times. She accidentally sent me the Smoked
one and we really like it.

The one below could be the White Opal or White Alabaster, but probably
the first one. Just got in some Pacific Opal and it is gorgeous. Pale
semi-opaque light green.

Cheers....Heather

Marjea...@gmail.com

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Jun 28, 2008, 3:38:27 PM6/28/08
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Shipwreck Beads has a good sampling of Preciosa crystals in various
styles. Prices are reasonable, if a bit all over the place. Their
pricing reflects the rapid decline in the dollar v. euro over the past
few months. Colors they've recently begun to carry or just restocked
are noticeably more expensive. The same applies to their prices on
Swarovski. Preciosa is less expensive but not necessarily lower
quality. A good portion of what you pay for Swarovski beads goes for
the name not the quality of the crystals themselves.

HTH!

Christina Peterson

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Jun 28, 2008, 5:51:09 PM6/28/08
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Yeah, I thought they were called White Opal, but I think I found something
almost the same under another name too, and was afraid the While Opal was
discontinued.

Did you say something about the "first humid day in Toronto"? I remember
being in Toronto just as winter was coming on, and how the cold and wind cut
right into me. We were being helped by the Toronto Anti-Draft Programme.
My daughter was born in Kitchener.

I live in Alaska now, but have wonderful appreciation for Canada and usually
celebrate Thanksgiving both in October and November.

Tina

"Heather" <no....@home.invalid> wrote in message
news:g448d1$ric$1...@registered.motzarella.org...

Heather

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Jun 28, 2008, 8:35:22 PM6/28/08
to

"Christina Peterson" <tinap...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4866b247$1...@news.acsalaska.net...

>
> Did you say something about the "first humid day in Toronto"? I
> remember
> being in Toronto just as winter was coming on, and how the cold and
> wind cut
> right into me. We were being helped by the Toronto Anti-Draft
> Programme.
> My daughter was born in Kitchener.

We have had a LONG cold snowy Winter, but you would know about those
what with living in Alaska. It was almost record-breaking. I believe
about two more centimetres of snow and we would have beaten a 100 year
old record. We are now humid and hot again thanks to Lake Ontario.
That is why you froze when you were here. Kitchener isn't quite as
close to the lake.

So you were here in the early 70's I assume. We had friends that
transferred here from the US for the same reasons. I live outside
Toronto in Brampton, northwest of the airport. It would have been a
fairly small town then. But up to half a million people now.


>
> I live in Alaska now, but have wonderful appreciation for Canada and
> usually
> celebrate Thanksgiving both in October and November.

That is so nice to hear and I much prefer having Thanksgiving around
Oct. 12th. The US one is so close to Christmas that it takes the fun
out of roasting a turkey a second time, lol.

Cheers....Heather


Christina Peterson

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Jun 29, 2008, 2:55:01 AM6/29/08
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Late 60s actually. Susie was born in '69. Most of our time in Canada we
lived in Alberta and YT. Part of the reason I moved to Alaska was because I
loved the Yukon so much. Our winter this year was very cold with about 3
weeks near -50 F, and Spring arrived very late. We had pussy willows in
late April. But "Summer", leaves coming out, was earlier than usual. One
of these days I will again enjoy a warm dark night. Here if it's dark, it's
no longer summer/warm. Lots of light now. If it's not overcast, (this is
the only location I've been in where the forecast calls for "sunny skies
tonight"), I can read on the couch, with my back to the window, all night
without turning on the light.

I also like having Thanksgiving at harvest time instead of in November.

Tina


"Heather" <no....@home.invalid> wrote in message

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