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Swarovski Crystal Beads: Austrian Nostalgia |
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Written by Heather DeSimone
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 I guess the saying is true: that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. Was that a said by a wise old matriarch, or 1980’s band ‘Cinderella’? Either way, it’s a true sentiment when it comes to the coveted ‘out of program’ Swarovski crystal beads.
As a direct distributor for Swarovski, we are fortunate to receive stock lists that include items that are being phased out of production or ‘out of program’. These lists are always bittersweet in that it means there are new & innovative Swarovski products on the horizon. However, it also means that some of our favorite shapes, colors or finishes will be a thing of the past. Because we are privy to these ‘out of program’ lists, usually before the items are actually discontinued, we try to stock up on some of these items so that even though they’re no longer being made, you can find them at The Beadin’ Path & www.BeadinPath.com.
 So, you’re chomping at the bit to find out what YOU should stock up on? Well, one of Swarovski’s most popular lines, the Art. 5301 bicone bead, is being discontinued in the following finishes: Colors AB Satin, Colors CAL (or Comet Argent Light), and SOME of the Colors AB 2X (the double-coated Aurora Borealis). They are also discontinuing their newly introduced Cantaloupe in this shape. Cantaloupe is a fabulous ‘chatoant’ color that changes depending on the light it is exposed to. In natural sunlight, the bead turns an amazing green color. In false light, you’ll describe Cantaloupe as a soft melon pink.
Another hugely popular shape is Art. 5601 or ‘the cube’ bead. Swarovski has phased out of the production of Colors & Color AB’s in larger sizes including 10mm & 12mm. Of course, these chunkier sizes are still produced in Crystal and Crystal AB. So if you have a stash of these highly coveted larger-sized Swarovski cubes, hold onto them. They’re as good as a deposit in the bank.
Of course Swarovski will in most cases, produce a bead listed as ‘out of program’ as a special production. These generally involve very high minimum order requirements which are manageable to designers or companies that deal in high volume. So it’s never entirely safe to say that you’ll ‘never’ see an ‘out of production’ bead be brought back into circulation. For example, we saw a recent resurgence of ‘Alexandrite’ on the market due to a very well-known, celebrity costume jewelry designer who had this color produced exclusively for their line.
Whether you’re thrilled by this information because your already valuable Swarovski stash has just increased in value, or you’re crying in your Thread Heaven because you might have missed out on some of these fabulous finds, the Swarovski saga continues. There will always be more stunning crystals to replace those that fade into bead history. In fact, isn’t that what keeps us coming back for more?
-Heather DeSimone
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