Swarovski has announced changes to it's Crystallized by Swarovski bicones. This classic faceted bicone is a staple of jewelry making and beading, as it is a both beautiful, highly versatile, and relatively inexpensive - as compared to other crystal beads.
The old style - also often referred to as "5301" - which is it's product number, is a faceted bicone with equal-sized and spaced facets.
Swarovski is replacing them with the new Xilion cut 5328s - a bicone of the same size, but with alternating wide and narrow facets.
Whether these will ultimately prove to be sparklier or not, it's tough to say at this point. I shot these 6 mm bicones to show you the real world difference, and I have to say - it's tough to spot the difference. Possibly in strands or
large grouping, we might see a bit more sizzle.Swarovski itself has this to say:
Its superior levels of reflection, refraction and scintillation have been scientifically confirmed through analysis carried out in Swarovski’s light laboratories. Yet even to the naked eye, the increased number of facets produces a bead of glittering brilliance and irresistible charm.
We thought they were pretty darn good to begin with. ;-)
We will not be re-photographing our entire inventory of Swarovski bicones. :-P
As we run out of old stock and restock with the new cut, we will be updating the product description. So far as we know, the new cut does not represent any particular change in pricing, one way or the other.
Fluctuations in the value of the Canadian and U.S. dollar against the Euro continue to have the biggest impact on pricing with regards to the Swarovski Crystallized Elements.
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