Rumors have been swirling in the beading and jewelry communities for at least several months now about what is going to happen with Swarovski beads, pearls and fancy stones. Although we urged y’all not to panic buy since the dust had not settled yet, we now have a much clearer picture of the landscape and we’re sorry to say it is not looking too great for lovers of Swarovski.
We have received final word that our suppliers (official Swarovski importers) will not be allowed to sell any more Swarovski beads, stones and other components to us starting in September of 2021. Now we do know that the Swarovski family is not in full agreement in this decision and lawsuits are wending their way through European courts as we speak but for all intents and purposes as it stands right now, Swarovski beads, fancy stones and other components will only be available to the producers and designers of luxury finished products who sign an agreement with Swarovski.
What this means
Currently Eureka will only be able to purchase Swarovski products through the end of the summer (Click to see our current selection and stock). We are trying to stock up on a lot of staples so that we can continue to have stock for you all but after September all of our Swarovski beads, stones and pearls will be considered discontinued and will only be available while supplies last.
What we still don’t know
Although we will be allowed to continue to sell Swarovski products until we sell out of them, it is unclear if we will have to scrub the brand name “Swarovski” off of these items. It may be possible that Swarovski can require us to do this but so far they have not made this intention known. If we do have to remove the brand name, we will most likely substitute the generic “Austrian Crystal” for these products so that savvy beaders will know they are authentic Swarovski, even if we are not allowed to say so.
What you can do
First, if you are someone who uses a lot of Swarovski products for your business or hobby, take stock of what you have and see if you can plan what you will need over the next several months. For some designs, you just need the right component and nothing else will work – these are the items to stock up on now if you have not already. Basic colors like Crystal AB are also a good idea because they will work for so many different projects. Having this stash in place will give you the leeway to start playing with different products that you can use for substitutes in your designs once Swarovski beads and fancy stones are impossible to get.
Try our newly added Preciosa bicones to substitute for Swarovski bicones or Preciosa Maxima Pearls (coming to Eureka SOON!) for Swarovski Crystal Pearls. We have just launched our Exclusive line of Krakovski Crystal Fancy stones which can be substituted for your favorite Swarovski stones. We have had such a huge response to these new crystal fancy stones that all of our stock sold out right away! We are in the process of adding deeper stock and many new colors and shapes as well so stay tuned for more from Krakovski Crystal!
And most of all, don’t panic! Yes, Swarvoski will no longer be in the picture, but this time of upheaval is also a great time to look around and get inspired by all the new products that will come to fill the gap. It’s a great opportunity to fall in love with new items, create new designs and sharpen your creative skills!
What do you think about these big changes with Swarovski? Are you sad to see them leave the DIY sphere or are you ready to move on? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Eureka Crystal Beads Blog 
If people use Swarovski crystals that were produced before September 2021, what is the harm in advertising designs made with those crystals as being Swarovski? I know their legal eagles have some twisted reasoning to this. Hope the courts can sort it out. It is a ridiculous stand to take.
My thinking is that DIY jewelry makers using Swarovski was taking $$ away from their retail store sales and MLM business,
touchstonecrystal.com.
Very useful information and unfortunate news about Swarovski crystals that i have been using for ages for Ballroom dance costumes!
Very useful information and unfortunate news about Swarovski…was using them for ages for all Ballroom costumes.
So in other words Swarovski was losing money because selling DIY products were driving down the price of there Swarovski made at Swarovski. So we as little consumers the ones who keep Swarovski in business CANNOT state that the crystals in our personal designs are made by Swarovski. Hey if Swarovski doesn’t want to take credit for their crystals which are beautiful. Thats fine they only own the name not the element. I guess the necklaces i made with Swarovski pendants elements ill have to edit every single listing I have. Feels like a slap in the face from Swarovski for using and PURCHASING there products. Kin
I only learned of this 2 days ago while trying to order and finding most products were out of stock. One of my suppliers had issued a statement that they would no longer be stocking Swarovski but didn’t really explain why. I bought a lot of Swarovski about 2 years ago, so I hadn’t needed to buy any. I would like to know how they intend to stop people using the name. If it was sold as Swarovski surely it can still be called that. I was also interested to hear about the Nazi ties.
Yes Katherine, they decided not to sell crystal to the diy market. It was a corporate decision and we cannot do anything about it. We will be phasing out our Swarovski line. Please consider our new brand Krakovski crystal. It is of good quality and less expensive.
Amazing piece of information. It is a very helpful post for everyone. Appreciate your efforts and keep posting such great work.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share so much with us. I’ve been looking for authenticity, and now that you’ve clarified what’s going on with Swarovski. I’ll be switching to other brands. You’ve made it a lot easier for me to decide what to buy from now on.
Glad to help!
I have boxes of swarovski Crystal. From large ones down to small ones to
Make earrings and pendents. How do I sale them know.
Hi John, sorry to hear that. You should be able to sell the items as long as you don’t use their branding. But I suggest reaching out to Swarovski to double check so that you don’t get into any legal hot water. Good luck!
Can’t sell them as Swarovski you have to put Austrian crystal. Facebook has deleted all the listings i had that had Swarovski in the components used. WHATEVER seems petty
They told us that we are not allowed to say Austrian Crystal either 😢
It is not fine that Swarovski goes this new way – and all the beaders who love to do these wonderful diy´s – have to look forward to new crystals – but eureka crystal beads has found a wonderful alternative to Swarovski – it is called Krakovski – and they have got really wonderful shapes and colours – so if I can get Krakovski I don´t need Swarovski! Best regards from Austria – Astrid
Thank you so much for this Astrid! We have been working really hard to provide a nice alternative and we are so happy to hear that you approve! Thank you!
Kravoskis work for me. I’m late to the dance with Swarovski and won’t be nearly as affected as the designers I follow. I admire Eureka greatly for not trying to cash in by encouraging panic buying and for encouraging a logical approach to this dilemma. My favorite thing about the beading community is how kind, encouraging and nurturing everyone can be.
T hf
I think this is a greedy cash grab on the part of Swarovski; they don’t want independent jewelry makers profiting off them, they want you to buy their (over-priced) ready-made jewelry items and support their MLM jewelry business. Hopefully, other crystal companies will seize the opportunity to service the jewelry making community.
Yes it’s very troubling not only what they are doing but how they did it: unilateral and without really speaking with the communities that rely on their products. But we are very excited to see what will come of it now that the marketplace is ripe for competition and innovation. It’s as if a giant oak has fallen leaving a large clearing for all the little seedlings. We can’t wait to see what will happen over the next few years!
I too agree – I’ve never loved monopolistic behaviour or entities. I’m very happy about the new opportunities this situation creates.
Thank you for letting us know what’s happening, Eurekacrystas.
Best wishes,
Szidonia
Agree.
The new CEO is a nut.
I agree 100% Marge, your right on sister.
I’m actually not sad that Swarovski will be harder to get. I’ve been divesting myself of all things Swarovski since December of 2020, when I learned that the Swarovski family has Nazi ties, and is actively trying to hide the fact to this day. I have the documents to prove it. I’m selling off all my Swarovski crystals and donating the proceeds to the Anti-Defamation League. I’m using different crystal beads instead, and they are less expensive as well.
Wow we did not know that, thanks for sharing.
Yikes, I did not know that about them! You have now made my decision for what to buy from now on a lot easier. I unfortunately can’t afford to donate all of the proceeds of my sales to the ADL, but I will certainly give them a chunk.
This does upset me. I just started my jewelry business last year and have been proud to say that my pieces are made with Swarovski products, believing that it is a strong selling point. I have spent thousands of dollars on Swarovski over the years, honing my craft and perfecting my designs. I have quite a stash now, and the thought that I can’t promote my jewelry with the Swarovski name is devastating! I cannot understand why the company would take this position.
Yes we absolutely understand! There are many designers and companies that really rely on Swarovski products and everyone feels like the rug has been pulled out from under them. Being able to use the brand name was a way to advertise quality and now that they are taking that away from small jewelry businesses, there isn’t always a perfect substitute. But it will come! Swarovski have dominated the market for so long that competitors didn’t really bother jumping into the fray. Now they will. It’s going to be very interesting to see what the crystal landscape looks like in 5 years time. Who knows? Maybe fresh new competition for this market will lead to exciting innovation!