What Are European Crystal Pearls?

We have had a longtime love affair with European crystal pearls. Their luster, durability, and wide range of colours and sizes have made them an absolute joy to work with since our inception.

We are one of a select number of Canadian jewelry brands that has been granted a brand agreement with the Austrian company that crafts the European crystal pearls. There is only one company in the world that creates them! While our agreement prohibits us from stating the name of this company, we bet you can take a guess! If you've been with us for a few years, you will likely remember when we announced the name change.

Aside from it being a great honor, having access to European crystal pearls is vital to our business. You will likely notice that the vast majority of our designs incorporate these gleaming beauties!

But, what exactly are European crystal pearls? Are they the same as freshwater pearls? No, they are not. Let's discuss the differences!

Shown above is our Lily Bracelet, which utilizes European crystal pearls.

What is a European Crystal Pearl?

Also known as Austrian Crystal Pearls, they are the highest quality manmade pearl available on the market. At their center, they have a European crystal. Other, poorly made imitation pearls will typically use glass or plastic at their centers.

Benefits of European Crystal Pearls

We take great pride in selecting high quality materials that are designed to last, which is one of the many reasons we love European crystal pearls.

European crystal pearls are...

Durable
Scratch resistant
Not susceptible to damage from sweat or beauty products
Lustrous
Available in a range if 29 colours and various sizes
A near perfect imitation pearl, even changing temperate to match the wearer's skin

It's no wonder we love them so much!

Above is our Ashley Bracelet, which utilizes freshwater pearls.

What is a Freshwater Pearl?

While we love and work with European crystal pearls, there is plenty of room in our hearts (and designs!) for freshwater pearls.

Freshwater pearls are high quality, can occur naturally or be cultured, and grow in freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds.

Freshwater pearls are formed when a mollusk produces layers of nacre (pronounced NAY-kur) around an irritant inside its shell. In natural pearls, the irritant may be another organism from the water. In cultured pearls, a mother-of-pearl bead or a piece of tissue is inserted (by man) into the mollusk to start the process.

What are the Benefits of Freshwater Pearls?

There is something about naturally occurring pearls that brings a little extra wonder to them. The beauty Mother Nature creates will never cease to amaze us.

Freshwater pearls are...

Available in a wider variety shapes than any other pearl
Available in an almost unlimited range of colours
Varying in size, ranging from 1mm to 15mm
Lustrous
Naturally occurring
Able to change their temperate to match the wearer's skin

Recap- What Are The Differences Between European Crystal Pearls and Freshwater Pearls?

Let's look at the differences between these two pearl types one more time! While we so often select jewelry based on the design and how it makes us feel, it is nice to understand the quality of the materials that go into it!

Which Pearl is Best?

In the world of pearls, the only one who say which pearl is best is you! But, don't feel like you have to pick one of the other. We could never, which is why we work with both European crystal and freshwater pearls. Each has their time and place in our jewelry.

If you have any questions about our jewelry, we invite you to email us at hello@carolily.com.