Swarovski Crystal Beads, Finishes & Effects, Part 2

Swarovski's effects and combinations of finishes are a great way to show off those unique creations.  There are almost an endless supply of great colors and styles from Swarovski.  This guide is a continuation of Swarovski Crystal Beads, Finishes & Effects, Part 1 , and will go more into the unique combination finishes available and why some Swarovski bead colors you buy this month might not be found anywhere next month.

Bead Effects

5523 Crystal Copper  effect

Have you heard the term that is an effect not a finish or did you know there is a difference?  Swarovski makes several finishes (see part 1) but also has some great effects as well.  You can see a the different "official" effects from Swarovski on our color chart page at Swarovski Color Charts about the middle of the page.

An effect is generally a crystal that begins as a clear, or the color referred to as CRYSTAL and then an effect is added to the clear color, which is why you see many "effects" called a CRYSTAL something.  Some examples are CRYSTAL VITRAIL MEDIUM , CRYSTAL TABAC , CRYSTAL BERMUDA BLUE , and many more.


5601 Crystal Meridian Blue  effect

What is different about an effect over a "color" is that the color, like ROSE , is a solid color, where the effects are a reflection of many different colors.  This is not a coating put on the outside, but a chemical process that allows the absorbtion of different wavelengths of light from within the crystal iteself, creating a beautiful effect like the CRYSTAL VOLCANO below.   The CRYSTAL COPPER color shown above goes from a light tan color through a dark brown and has an incredible look. You can see many different colors like reds, blues, silver, clear, and so on.


5301 Crystal Volcano effect

Finish Combinations

Sometimes you can find unique or rare (look at the "rare" word cautiously) combinations of two or more finishes discussed in Swarovski Crystal Beads, Finishes & Effects, Part 1 in one crystal color.  Most of the time you will not find an "effect" that is also a color, or vise-versa.  Swarovski does at times make very limited edition runs of combinations of these and that are incredible looking, but not easy to find.

5301 Light Rose AB SATIN  combination

The most common combinations from Swarovski are: AB SATIN , SATIN 2X , MATTE SATIN and an EFFECT 2X (meaning some effect plus their 2X coating, like DORADO 2X ).  Of these, the AB SATIN is made in more color combinations than the others and the three above are by no means a complete list.  A word of caution though.  Sometimes you can have a third party company (not Swarovski) make combinations through their own process.  This is generally not looked upon favorably by Swarovski so if the combination sounds really odd, it may be.  It is best to ask the seller if you have a question about its origin or possible third party finishing.

5301 Aquamarine AB SATIN combination

The combinations can be hard to find sometimes, but they give a very unique look that can only be found from using two different types of finishes on the crystals.  As seen in the AQUAMARINE AB SATIN above, it has that AB rainbow look but with a darker deeper tone that the SATIN finish gives it.

5301 Siam Dorado combination

Other very unique combinations are those that include an effect and a color.  Not many of these are made, but these are when Swarovski takes one of their standard colors, like SIAM , and an effect like DORADO , which combines to make SIAM DORADO a crystal that is half SIAM and half DORADO (see photo above).  The gold and red combination is an incredible look.

Please don't forget to vote on our guide if you found it helpful.  Where you looking for something else?  Just let us know.  We specialize in Swarovski Crystal Beads and if you didn't find what you are looking for here, we can probably point you in the right direction.  Go to our contact us from eBay above (user ID minordtails) or visit our ebay store for the largest variety of color and components at http://stores.ebay.com/Minor-Details .  We offer great prices and shipping discounts, ship within 24 hours, and we are continually adding new colors and components.

Our other guides and some new guides coming soon:

Swarovski Crystal Beads, Finishes & Effects, Part 1 (basic finishes and effects produced)
Swarovski Crystal Beads, Finishes & Effects, Part 2  (effects and combinations of each)
Swarovski® Crystal Beads, Limited & Out of Production  (special production items, limited or vintage)
Real Swarovski® Crystal Beads or Fake Glass? Part 1
Real Swarovski® Crystal Beads or Fake Glass? Part 2
Swarovski Bead Article Component Numbers, and Their Meaning
New Swarovski Crystal Bead Colors and Component Releases
Hole Sizes for Swarovski Crystal Beads and Components
Swarovski Bead Diagrams, Shapes, Sizes, Cuts
How to Take Great Photographs of your Crystals or Finished Pieces
How to Shop Smart for Swarovski on eBay
Wire Gauge Comparisons
Differences in Jump Rings and Split Rings
Jewelry Clasp Types
Head Pins and Eye Pins

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