Swarovski’s departure from the DIY market in 2020 left a void for bead shops and designers, but many have turned to Preciosa and other alternatives to continue creating stunning jewelry pieces.
In the heyday of beading, there were few names that sparkled as brightly as Swarovski – until 2020, when the company decided to exit the DIY market. Now, Swarovski crystals are only available to the producers and designers of luxury finished products.
While some retailers and designers still have healthy Swarovski stockpiles three years later, Preciosa has assumed a larger role in the DIY market.
“When Swarovski announced that they were going to stop selling to our industry, we stocked up. In fact, we may have stocked up too much. We still have a few colors left,”
said Irina Miech, co-owner of Eclectica in New Berlin, Wis. “The 4 mm and 3 mm bicones are really popular, so as we run out of Swarovski, we are replacing it with Preciosa.”
For some smaller bead shops, the shift actually brought more Swarovski into the store.
Andrew Thorton, co-owner of Allegory Gallery.
“Our bead store never made Swarovski crystals a major part of our offerings – as a small shop we could not buy enough to get price breaks that would allow us to be competitive to online retailers and big box stores,”
said Andrew Thornton co-owner of Allegory Gallery in Johnstown, Pa.
“We had only really carried vintage Swarovski – purchased on the secondary market and for specific projects.
When the news broke, there were many designers who felt betrayed, or could no longer offer specific colors or shapes for their kits. As a result, many of them offloaded their remaining stock and we ended up picking up more crystals than we normally would. We still have a selection of Swarovski crystals.”
Eclectica, on the other had always devoted a significant amount of space to Swarovski – and now Preciosa. It’s customers are largely going with the flow.
“We still have a good inventory of the rounds and the rivolis, we haven’t even thought about replacing any of that yet. It’s going to last us probably for the next five years,” Miech said.
“I never thought we would have to have sales on Swarovski, I thought people would just clean us out. But even when we do 40% off Swarovski, Preciosa is less expensive.”
Eclectica is also replacing its Swarovski offerings with even less expensive Chinese-made bicones.
“And people are using them, even stitching with them. They’re not as nice as Preciosa, but people like the price,” Miech said.
Irina Miech, co-owner of Eclectica.
Because they have a Global Sourcing Key (“GSK”) number from Swarovski, direct-mail and online retailer Fire Mountain Gems and Beads can still sell the products. According to Cindi Willcox, ” Fire Mountain also sells Preciosa and Crystal Passions,” from customer development at Fire Mountain.
Rustic River Finds in Galena, Illinois, focuses on the tourist trade and so sells mainly finished jewelry – along with a selection of jewelry components. So it dealt with the Swarovski change in its own way.
Jess Italia Lincoln, co-owner of Rustic River.
“When Swarovski made their announcement, we made a few changes in the way we sold the crystals we carried,”
said Jess Italia Lincoln, Rustic River co-owner. “We never had a large selection to begin with, and only sold basic beads and rivolis. We set the rivolis in bezels as finished charms and earrings, because a majority of our customers buy finished jewelry. We also made crystal mixes with the variety of beads and pendants we did have, so they became a specialty collection instead of individual pieces. We do not sell Preciosa as a replacement.”
“We did have some regulars that were disappointed in the news, and they stocked up on their favorites,” Lincoln said.
While Allegory Gallery noticed a lot of conversation about the future of Swarovski and what it meant for the bead world, it did not notice a rush of customers buying Swarovski,
“Part of that is because our business changed as well. We went from having mostly walk-in traffic to moving mostly online. Unfortunately, Swarovski was very aggressive about their new branding efforts,” Thornton said. Allegory Gallery had to get inventive when selling products using Swarovski online. The Swarovski rules included – “You will have to commit not to state ‘Embellished with crystals by Swarovski’ or similar language when selling finished products with Swarovski crystals to consumers.”
“We would have to call them “premium European crystal” or “Austrian crystal” or “S-Word crystal, ” Thornton said.
The Swarovski company did not respond to a request for comment.
Thornton found that some customers were very unhappy about the news. Some of them boycotted the product because of how they felt Swarovski treated local bead stores, designers and the factory workers.
“We used to have a ‘bling crew’ of shoppers who were loyal fans, but a lot of them have changed their interests,” he said. “As a designer, I enjoy the crystals as a material and still use it in my work. However, whenever I post pictures of finished designs with Swarovski, invariably I will hear negative comments. So, if I do use them, I don’t highlight them, nor do I raise it as a talking point.”
Left: necklace made from Swarovski.
Selection of Swarovski (middle) and Preciosa (right) at Eclectica in New Berlin, Wisconson.
Swarovski once was a major “talking point” for many designers. At one time Swarovski had a team of teachers and jewelry designers who were company ambassadors.
One such ambassador was Linda Hartung, designer, instructor and co-owner of AlaCarte Clasps. Like many bead stores, Hartung won’t be running out of Swarovski any time soon.
“I have such a huge inventory that it will be part of my family’s inheritance. Seriously, since I began with Swarovski in 2002 and renewed my contracts until 2020. So I have 18 years of collecting and building an inventory.”
Hartung doesn’t advertise or have a dedicated website for her Swarovski inventory, but she’ll often get a request for a specific Swarovski component.”
Linda Hartung, designer, instructor and co-owner of AlaCarte Clasps
“I had several customers asking me what happened with Swarovski, and they were upset about the change. Needless to say, I did sell more Swarovski in 2020-2023 as people looked for a particular item. I do find that when someone needs a particular item that they buy all of my stock or much more than they need because they want to be sure to have the item available.”
Designer and instructor Kinga Bledsoe also has always had a healthy Swarovski stockpile. But she didn’t add to it when the news hit in 2020.
Kinga Bledsoe, designer and instructor
“Knowing that this was not the first time Swarovski pulled this, I knew there was going to be a rush. I did not participate in it because I firmly believe in putting my money where my mouth is. I hated what they did to the industry and under no circumstances was I going to throw extra money at them,” Bledsoe said.
“The customers feel equally betrayed by Swarovski and even though we could all get Swarovski crystals wherever we wanted wholesale and retail, they don’t want to have much to do with a company that devalued their art and betrayed their trust.
“Some wholesalers and retailers kept selling Swarovski under rebranded names. If I desperately needed a refill on an old project, I would still buy really limited quantities just for the kit. But in general, if I have any chance to work with any other crystal, I will pick anything else.”
Bledsoe noted that Swarovski never really needed the beading market. “They get most of their profits from other sources – heavy machinery, lenses, etc. But it was a fine mutually beneficial relationship for a very long time.”
“It’s too bad that their then CEO had to start a vendetta against artists. No wonder he is not in charge anymore. Meanwhile, their product is still available on the market, although with less variety – and it’s very confusing as to who has what, and what it’s called. Swarovski never took ownership of their mistake and the world has moved on.”
Designer, instructor, and retailer, Nikia Angel has moved on. She once built her brand using Swarovski crystals and pearls in all her kits.
“I used nothing but Swarovski. When they made the announcement they would no longer sell to us, I immediately stopped using it in any new kits and remade samples with alternative products.”
“I still have a bit of inventory but rarely use it. I am happy with the Preciosa pearls, bicones, and rivolis and have moved away from that aesthetic somewhat.”
Nikia Angel, designer, instructor and retailer.
Angel says she has had no complaints from customers, who appreciate the lower prices on Preciosa overall. “I have had no requests for Swarovski.”
Cathryn Jakicic
contributor
Cathryn Jakicic has been writing about all things creative since working the late shift at Milwaukee’s morning newspaper right after college.She has worked at number of newspapers and magazines since, including Bead Style magazine; the Milwaukee Sentinel, where she wrote book, concert, theatre and film reviews for a number of years; and Trusted Media Brands, where she edited crafty and culinary creations for a number of titles. But her heart has always been with the crafter.
Thank you for research Swarovski from the craft industry viewpoint . There remain few publications directed towards beadwork products and design, so getting your analysis of what happened with Swarovski since 2020 provides a needed perspective.
So glad to hear it. That’s our aim!
Wonderful research and article. I used Swarovski products in the majority of my pieces, tutorials, and kits. Where some designers like Kinga got mad ( more power to you girl!), I just got sad. I wasn’t interested in re-inventing designs that used crystals, and just stopped producing. It was for me, an act of self defense. I had also used Swarovski crystals exclusively for 35 years in my ballroom costume business. Retiring seemed like the best plan. I am selling off that tens-of-thousands of dollars stock at deep discounts on Etsy.
A few years later and it still seems like an odd business decision to me. I keep hoping I’ll see 14mm octogan crystals in colors by a company like Preciosa. The cheaper Chinese ones are not faceted in a way that lays correctly for my pieces.
Thank you for your attention to the beading community, and for your research on how Swarovski’s decision continues to affect us. My thoughts are in line with Kinga’s, who put it better than I could.
I will add that my go-to beading manufacturers prioritize the long-term health of the market, and they cultivate their relationships with suppliers, retailers, and designers. My best work (artistically and financially) happens when those relationships are thriving, so it makes little sense for me to work with a manufacturer who doesn’t share those priorities.
Anyway, I hope to see more coverage of the beading community in the future!
Hi Cindy,
Great point. And yes, we hope to continue to cover the beading community!