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What's the difference between Austrian (specifically, Swarovski) crystals and Czech glass beads?
At the request of one of our readers who wanted further information on this topic.
Austrian Crystal is crystal made in Austria, and Swarovski is the largest, most widely known manufacturer. Austrian crystal is a high quality leaded glass, capable of incredible sparkle, faceted or not. Swarovski first perfected the faceting technique and, in many opinions, remains unequaled.
Czech glass - comes in a variety of forms and finishes. The fire polish beads are glass beads, faceted, and then heated (fired). When the bead is heated the facets "soften" and therefore are not as sharp as a hand or laser faceted bead.