Crystal Beads @ Jewel Info 4 U
By: Bina Shaji Kurup
Crystal, sparkling with the
effervescence of light dancing at
its surface and a crystal bead
captures this sparkle beautifully,
flashing as light strikes its
surface. Crystal is a term with dual
meanings - one crystal refers to the
naturally occurring colorless quartz
(also called a semi-precious stone),
which is termed as crystal quartz
and the other is man-made crystal
which is the subject of this
article.
Crystal beads few facts
 Crystal is mostly glass mixed
with lead - the magic ingredient
that gives crystal its sparkle. Lead
makes the glass heavier and allows
the glass to be cut and given
facets, making it glint and twinkle
- like a diamond. The sparkle of
crystal is due to its higher
refractory index which refers to the
ability of a surface to bend light
and the refraction index differs for
each gemstone and other reflecting
surfaces. Crystal beads reflect
light from outside as well as from
the inside of the crystal, making
light refract more times so the
crystal surface appears flash when
it is moved even a little. Ordinary
glass has a lower refractory index
but when lead or lead oxide is added
to it the refraction index of the
glass increases and gives crystal
its spark.
Crystal beads History
Crystal was made for the first
time in the late 1600's by George
Ravenscroft and after much trial and
error, he discovered the magic
ingredient - lead which when added
to glass made it stronger, harder,
more malleable and of a much better
quality than ordinary glass. Thus
crystal came into being. It is used
to manufacture not only jewellery
but also plenty of home décor
accessories and crystals decorate
clothes too. Crystal beads (called
Rhinestones) have been popular even
before the Victorian times and were
sometimes more expensive than real
gemstones. The nobility wore crystal
jewellery set in gold and good
crystalware was a sign of good
breeding. Even today, crystals are
synonymous with class and elegance.
Swarovski Crystals
Of course, the price of crystal
beads is considerably higher than
ordinary glass beads but it is a
small price to pay for the sparkle
and luminescence of authentic
crystal beads. Earlier, crystal
beads were made manually but after
Daniel Swarovski (of the famed
Swarovski brand of crystals) created
a machine to cut crystal, the
company became the most well-known
crystal manufacturer in the world.
Although Crystal beads are
manufactured by several companies
throughout the world, the best
crystal beads, the most popular and
possibly the most expensive are made
by Swarovski. And rightly so, since
the crystal beads from Swarovski are
the most perfect and accurately
faceted beads - making every bead
dance and shine like a diamond.
The revolutionary machine created by
Daniel Swarovski ensures crystal
beads are cut or faceted so that
each facet is perfect. Each design
has different facets, giving beads
various shapes. The crystals can be
cut, just like diamonds and each
crystal bead is an exact duplicate
of the other, this is a big
advantage for designers who create
jewellery and can be assured of
uniformity throughout the piece.
Computers are used to calculate
statistics like the light
reflection, slope, and other factors
which give the beads their
perfection and beauty. Other than
Swarovski, Czech machine cut crystal
beads and beads from Austria too are
of a high quality but flaunting
genuine Swarovski crystals makes a
classy fashion statement.
How crystal beads
are manufactured?
Each manufacturer has a recipe
for making crystal and the amount of
lead oxide added differs from as low
as 10% (Fine Crystal) to more than
25% (Fully leaded crystal).
Swarovski mixes almost 34% - making
it the heaviest crystal bead. A
couple of medium sized crystal beads
of Swarovski can often weigh almost
one gram. So, the easiest way to
identify a genuine crystal bead
would be to weigh it and the real
crystal beads are sure to be heavier
than the fakes.
Dyes or chemicals are added to glass
to give crystal its colors and there
are beautiful color palettes which
make crystal beads look just like
real gemstones - Purples to look
like Amethysts, Green to match
emeralds, yellows, pinks and plenty
more. Swarovski especially has
replicated actual gemstone colors in
crystal beads which look like real
gemstones from afar. Crystal beads
have several finishes and the prices
vary depending on the finish and
color and manufacturer of the beads.
Crystals - Buying tips
Some rules to remember while
buying crystal beads is to make sure
there are no bubbles inside the
bead, the bead should be heavy, the
rim of the hole should be clean and
preferably thin and the bicone area
should be more transparent than the
rim. Good quality beads should have
a uniform color without scratches or
patches on the surface and most
important, when you turn the crystal
beaded piece it should flash and
glint as a sure sign of superior
crystal beads.
Caring Tips
If your crystal jewellery becomes
dull, polish it with a soft cloth
and avoid using strong detergents,
chemicals or hot water to clean your
crystal beaded jewellery. Store your
crystal jewellery separately and
remember it is after all glass and
can break if dropped or treated
harshly. Crystal beaded jewellery is
for occasional use and extreme heat,
body sprays, perfumes etc can damage
the delicate crystal.
Crystal beads add a touch of
panache to any piece of jewellery,
so go out and buy yourself some
shining, glinting pieces of glass
which will flash like diamonds!
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