Swarovski Article

How do you identify beads from the Czech Republic? How about India? Belgian Chocolate? =o)

This probably wasn't where you were going with this comment, but the words Made in the USA mean a lot to me.

The difference being that "Swarovski" products are not crap. But there are lots if inferior crystals on the market now. China coming to mind as one of the countries that will try to reproduce as many of Swarovski's shapes as they can.

I think if it were your family name behind a product that was being copied, and some unethical sellers were trying to pawn off the copies as your product, you might feel differently.

For myself, as a seller, I appreciate the fact that Swarovski is taking this stand. While I accept that my business life is spent educating my customers, it can become very tiring to have them continually be fooled by an inferior product at a cut rate price. I cannot stop all the unethical businesses, or even the ones who have been misinformed and choose not to educate themselves. Swarovski can give it a much better shot, however.

More than any of that, though. I respect their decision about their business.

Beki

Well, there are no guarantees in life Vicki. But rest assured, the Swarovski company is the only company in Austria who makes crystal beads.

Beki

Swarovski has a select number of colors that are exclusive unto them. Things like Sapphire, Emerald, Olivine, Etc are not exclusive. Most are names taken from the precious stones they were made to resemble. Some are just a generic name to describe a color of glass.

The important thing is to educate yourself on the products you use. Trusting your seller, or asking questions of others who may have information to share are two good ways to avoid buying the wrong products.

Beki

Your not being asked to mis-identify it. It is an Austrian Crystal. Or, it may be a Czech Crystal, a Chinese Crystal...etc.

All Swarovski is asking is that when an item is advertised as Swarovski, it is truely a Swarovski product. The only way they have to try and assure that is to authorize sellers to use their name. Otherwise anyone could come along and say anything was a Swarovski bead. And there are several who do.

How about if made a lampwork bead, stuck it in a necklace and said the bead was made by Pati Walton? Yup...and it's only $16.00 for the entire necklace! Good deal, huh? I bet Pati wouldn't feel that way about it.

Just because the company is large, and is worth a ton, doesn't mean they don't have the right to reserve the use of their family name.

Beki

I'll have a really nice one for you by this fall...k? =o)

Beki

This bugs me so much, as well. Crystal is leaded glass. Firepolish is regular pressed glass. I do use both - both definitely have their place. But calling firepolished beads (usually Czech pressed glass) crystal is inaccurate and misleading.

So just to clarify, just so I have this legally correct -

If I am selling Swarovski crystals by themselves, I need to identify them as Austrian crystals unless I have a sighed written contract with them that allows me to use their name in the description.

If I am selling a finished piece that Swarovski did not make, and that has Swarovski components, I need to identify them as Austrian crystals. There's no way to get around that because they would like to keep people from confusing finished jewelry items that are made by them and those that are not.

If I am including Swarovski beads as part of an auction, I need to refer to them as Austrian crystals until I get permission.

Please let me know if this is correct - I think it is based on the rest of the thread.... and if so, I need to change my auctions until I have obtained permission. Can you only obtain permission if you are a dealer of the crystals? Thanks for all the information - it really is eye-opening. I never knew the legality until I read this thread. I imagine a lot of people on ebay have no idea.

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (DreamBeadr) :

]I'll have a really nice one for you by this fall...k? =o)

THANK YOU!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

OK, Now this is what I thought it was. And this is completely reasonable, simple, and in keping with what I do. I have never advertised or identified my work as "Swarovski". All my work is Tina's. I would never identify my work with another name (including that of it's components), but I do identify my materials.

Tina

Made in USA means I am supporting the workers in my country which means something to me as a citizen, but it doesn't decree its value as better or worse than any other. I've had good Swiss Chocolate and mediocre Swiss chocolate. Same for Danish butter cookies, Turkish coffee, or Columbian coffee either for that matter.

Are there NO other manufacturers of crystal in Austria? I would think there would be, though perhaps no other major exporter. After all, Swarovski's fame was not based on beads.

I don't have a problem with Swarovski making their own policies, but I do have a problem with a manufacturer who will not allow me to identify what the products I have used are -- products I have paid a premium price for, partly because their name is attatched to it.

I eat US wild venison. Elk and deer are US wild venison. I do not eat them. I eat caribou and moose.

I do use the term "Czech pressed glass", and though I will use the term "Czech lampwork", I don't like to because there is such a diversity of quality. If I had a more specific name I would use it.

Tina

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :

]OK, Now this is what I thought it was. And this is completely reasonable, ]simple, and in keping with what I do. I have never advertised or identified ]my work as "Swarovski". All my work is Tina's. I would never identify my ]work with another name (including that of it's components), but I do ]identify my materials.

exactly. but that's not what i'm hearing from Beki. am i?

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :

]I don't have a problem with Swarovski making their own policies, but I do ]have a problem with a manufacturer who will not allow me to identify what ]the products I have used are -- products I have paid a premium price for, ]partly because their name is attatched to it.

exactly.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

You are correct about everything Kandice.

No, you can be a designer. I believe the cryteria for that is that you use ONLY Swarovski products in your design. (with the exception of your stringing material or findings of course). No other glass or crystal can be used in the design.

I met with a vendor at the gift show last month. She has been selling Swarovski product for over 35 years now. Pendants mostly. She has been authorized for many years to use their name on her displays. When some of the less expensive German pendant pieces came out, she had to ask permission, and then wait for over 3 years before Swarovski would let her sell those pieces and retain the use of their name at the same time. She is very careful when setting up her displays. She also has pamplets that are included with each sale identifying the different items. These and a few other clauses were the only way Swarovski would allow her the continued use of their name. But, she knows that the name sells, and is willing to do whatever they ask to continue with a good partnership with them.

They of course cannot police everyone, everywhere, but they are trying to find as many ways to get this information out as possible. Including 1000's of cease and desist letters that are sent out monthly.

Beki

Hi Tina...can you clarify this sentence for me...I don't get it. =o\

If I read you right, you are saying you don't use names to identify the components in your work. ??? But you do for the materials? They are one and the same aren't they?

So cornfused.... Beki

No, there are no other manufacturers of crystal beads in Austria. Every crystal component made in Austria is under Swarovski control.

Well, this is the thing. They are not telling you that you cannot identify what the products are. It is fine to say they are Austrian Crystal. They have a problem with people using the Swarovski name to identify crystal with. Swarovski has no way of knowing that you are using their product, or not using their product. You could very easily be using Czech glass beads and calling them Swarovski for all they know. (not saying you are of course, Tina)

For every 1 person who knows the difference, there are probably 5 who either don't care, or intentionally try to misrepresent, or just don't know the difference.

A good example, and one that effects me as a business, and eventually anyone who uses their product to elevate the level of quality of their work, is a company that sells Chinese crystal beads. They set up a huge display at a trade show. 99.5% of their product is made in China. They have one small display container of Swarovski crystal beads. They have 3 giant signs on 3 sides of their booth: SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL BEADS! BEST PRICES AT THE SHOW! There are no signs in the booth stating that anything is Chinese crystal. For the full 4 days of this show, I heard 100's of times per day...no, don't pay these prices, there is a booth right down there that has Swarovski crystal beads for $3.00 per gross. I didn't have the manpower or the time to stop each and every person in that show who had been deceived and teach them how to distinguish one product from another. Instead, there were 1000's of beaders leaving that show who were, first, taken advantage of, and second, mislead into thinking they were working with one product when in fact it was another. So, now there are all these beaders out there, selling, sharing, and using a product that is labeled something other than what it is. Trust me when I tell you that this will effect every single person down the road. Misrepresentation of a product is wrong.

I used the example of a Pati Walton bead in my previous post to try to relate how this is wrong. To try to bring it to the level of an individual person. I think we would all flock to the lampworkers defense if we knew someone was using their name to market their product. Swarovski is no different. And the only way they have to try to stop the issue is to ask people to not use their name unless you have been authorized to do so.

Beki

There are many names of bead factories in the Czech Republic. However, neither you nor I would be able to distinguish one pressed glass bead from another based upon the name. While there are different qualities of Czech glass, most specifically firepolish, it is not denoted by the company name, but rather by the sellers here in the US. Preciosa makes Czech crystal. How many people do you know of who go around saying their product is made with it?

The reason people want to use the Swarovski name is because it is famous.

Beki

Swarovski has it's rules and if you contact them, they will gladly send you the information. I may even still have it on my computer.

I know that my friend who has a bead shop gets genuine Swarovskis because I was there one day when a large order was delivered from her supplier. The crystals were wrapped in a waxed tissue envelop with the Swarovski logo all over it. (Okay, I could be sarcastic and say that her supplier could have special ordered this envelop but that does seem a bit far fetched.)

If you want to be able to assure your customers that your items are made with Swarovski crystals, submit the work and get their official "Okie-Dokie".

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (DreamBeadr) :

]I ]think we would all flock to the lampworkers defense if we knew someone was ]using their name to market their product. Swarovski is no different.

and this is where we disagree again. i DO make a point of the lampworker's name. and i identify the products in the piece. [and if they are "seconds", i make it a point to ask first.]

i also make it a point NOT to buy a lot of things from shows anymore, unless it's someone i have found i can trust. [ask Nicole! **grin** i drive her crazy sometimes.]

i may mix Swarovski crystals with Czech firepolished glass and an American or Canadian lampworker. i have some customers who don't care what it's made of, say "ooooh, that's pretty - send me that one" and some who DO care what they are buying and that i can tell them exactly what is in each piece. and yes, the Swarovski name means something, as do phrases like "Tink beads" and "Kandice Seeber lampwork". someone found my site from Google by searching for "Jill Newman".

and many of my customers don't know from "Austrian". to them, that's like saying "Chinese" or "i don't know who made it".

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (DreamBeadr) :

]The reason people want to use the Swarovski name is because it is famous.

they want to use the name, because it has become known as "the best". and "if it isn't Swarovski, it is second rate".

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)