What is the difference between Swarovski crystals, rhinestone, and cubic zirconia?

★Rhinestone★ – The name is derived from the area in which these stones originated; a city along the Rhine river in Germany. A rhinestone is a clear artificial gem made of hard glass. To create sparkle, rhinestones are coated on their base with a silver mirror-like finish that reflects light. Usually rhinestones are found in vintage or antique jewelry. Innovations in manufacturing have advanced the production of simulated gemstones beyond the rhinestone. 


★Crystal★: The diamond-like radiance of a glass crystal is generated by the quality of the stone’s cut, placement of its facets, and its lead content. Lead is the element in crystal that sparkles. Crystals can be clear like diamonds or colored to resemble precious gemstones. 


★Swarovski crystals★-the finest… genuine Swarovski crystals are famous for their unmatched cutting techniques, the house of Swarovski is revered worldwide as the premier Austrian crystal manufacturer. 


★Cubic Zirconia★: A “CZ” is considered a simulated diamond because of its realistic clarity and brilliance. A genuine diamond is formed in the earth as extreme pressure compresses carbon and other elements. A cubic zirconia is a man-made gem that is manufactured in a laboratory by applying pressure to carbon and other ingredients, simulating the process that takes nature eons to complete. During the process, dye can be injected to create different colored gems. Cubic zirconias are then cut and faceted by hand, just like a genuine diamond. Cubic zirconias, like diamonds, exude optimum sparkle when light is allowed to reflect and refract, therefore, usually CZs are mounted in open-back settings. When an item has an opening in the back of the mounting, a cubic zirconia is often used as the gemstone. Criteria similar to that used to rate a diamond is employed in evaluating a cubic zirconia; cut, clarity, and carat.

How to tell/distinguish real pearls from fake ones?

Genuine pearls are either from the sea or fresh water, natural or cultured. The cultured freshwater pearl, as the natural one, has the same iridescent colorful layer of nacre that is secreted by mollusks, but they are not as expensive as the natural sea pearls. Fake pearls do not have any natural deposits of nacre. They are usually made of plastic, glass or resin. Both real and fake pearls can be dyed. Shape of pearl can be round, oblong, stick, baroque or coin pearls.

Flaw Test

Natural pearls will not be perfect. Examine the pearls under direct sunlight. If the pearls are completely, perfectly round and flawless, and look exactly the same with each other, they are almost certainly fake.

Rub Test

Simply take two pearls and rub one against the other gently. If the pearls are artificial, it will feel smooth. If the pearls are genuine, it will feel gritty. This slight roughness is due to the texture of the pearl.

Teeth Test

If you only have one pearl, you can use teeth test. Rub the pearl gently against one of your teeth. If it feels very smooth, it is fake. If it feels gritty, it is real.

Magnification Test

Examine the surfaces of the pearls with a magnifier. If they look grainy, the pears are artificial. If they look scaly, they are real.