I've been watching this topic, with great deal of interest. So how is the average person (i.e. me) suppose to find a reliable swarovski bead sellor? and how do we know who to trust?


Ps: thanks for letting us know what we can and can't say.

Yikes - a potential minefield.

On a slight tangent I looked at Rainbow-London yesterday for Swaros and noticed that many 4mm bicones were listed as out of stock. However many of these items were available in their Ebay shop. Prices the same.
Just thought you might like to know.

That list is interesting.

Hiya,
ive been watching this topic and did want to say that a very good friend of mines husband works for a company who deal in glass furnesses, and he deals alot with Swarovski and Preciousa crystal. He has informed me that Swarovski Crystal do have a factory in China which is why the crystal comes from there. I think its pretty much like us sending our call centers to india and other eastern countries for cheaper labour. Just thought you would be interested in knowing this - so "Chinese" Swarovski im afraid is NOT fake!
cheers
Bev xx

Hmmmm, interesting, Bev.

They have a link on their main site to Asia, so that makes sense.

I'm wondering if they get the crystal/glass from China, but actually make the saleable products in Austria????? Could that be it, do you think?

Seems to be a standard problem with 'big names' who go to the Far East for economic reasons and then find that either outright fakes (ie lousy quality) are being produced with their brands on. Or, worse still from their point of view, some authorised manufacturers are allegedly making unauthorised items on the same production lines as the originals. Oops.

i use

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which are genuine swarovski and usually cheaper than ebay i have seen what they sell and witnessed that there items come in genuine swarovski packaging & the girls are great really freindly

I would love to know more of the legal side of this. I can see the point of the logo etc - lots of companies are rightly protective. But I don't see how they can enforce the "not using the name in a statement", because as far as I can see a description saying "this necklace uses Swarovski crystals" is a statement!

It seems to me that they are quite happy to sell the components which they know is going to made up into jewellery, and in fact they have an official Swarovski site encouraging you to do so, but then get restrictive on the use of the name. I also don't believe the list of 4 companies are the only official sellers of Swarovski components in the UK, I know others who source directly from Swarovski.

I wonder where one stands legally if, in good faith, you have bought Swarovski crystals (not extraordinarily cheaply - which is always a source of suspicion) but for a good price from a reputable online seller who states they are genuine Swarovski and you then pass on the information in your description of the finished product. If it then turns out not to be genuine where does the jewellery maker stand?

best regards
catherine-emma

Very interesting thread! I use loads of 4mm crystal bicones. I buy my genuine Swarovski from 2 reputable UK sellers and I do mention 'Swarovski crystals' in the description of my finished piece. I also buy 'fake Swarovski' from China as they are so much cheaper, but I then describe them as 'crystals' in my description. I feel quite strongly that when I buy the real thing I am entitled to use 'Swarovski' as a descriptive word, and will continue to do so (don't they say this is allowed in their statement?). When I had my shop and was selling my jewellery, I was visited by the London sales manager - he gave me loads of info, a free measuring tool, ordered loads of free samples for me, and ...... some logos to display!!! Admittedly this was a few years ago and they didn't have such a strong profile then, but I was actively encouraged to display their logo.
I do find the Chinese crystals are sometimes not quite as good as the real thing, but when I am using them in a complicated seed bead necklace where they don't show so much, I am quite happy to do so and then use real Swarovski for the ones that do show, so that I am mixing them - I would then say 'Swarovski crystals' and 'crystals' in my description. I always use real Swarovski in a strung necklace where every bead shows. Carmie

Curiouser and curiouser. How about India then? I had a lady in the Haddington shop a couple of weeks ago who told me all about the job that she had in a factory in India, producing Swarovski pearls. She even told me all about the gift of Crystal Cream Rose pearls that she was given when she left. What was it that Swarovski said about their products only being produced in Austria?

Jo

Hmmmmm. This is really strange.

I know the crystals are good, and I DO like them, but what is the point in Swaro lying about where their goods are produced? It seems obvious that there are factories in other countries.

Weird!

Ive learnt so much from reading this threa, Ive bought `swaros` a few times an was pretty sure that they were genuine but Im not so sure now, as long as theyre sparkly enough Im happy!! Still if theyre notswaros I think that its a bit of a con not to say so!!