Swarovski Article Numbers
Swarovski® bead numbers can be very helpful in finding the exact item, color or bead shape you are looking for. Have you ever seen the numbers that are associated with the Swarovski® bead components and wondered what that are or how they are used? Information on the main Swarovski® website can be a hard place to locate information but they do have another site that does have some good information with photos and product numbers. A site that might be a little harder to find is the Create Your Style [beads] site by Swarovski®. It has a list of all the categories and articles available (also found on our website).
Swarovski® crystal beads are produced using a number designation for each component (shape) and are broken down into categories for like pieces. For this article we will be referring mainly to the "components" line of Swarovski® products. Swarovski® of course makes many products, and one of those are their line of components [individual pieces used for making various jewelry and craft items]. Within the components the products can be broken down into basically eight categories. Within those eight categories are many different articles of different shapes and sizes.
An example of this would be the diagram below. At the top level are the Swarovski® components, then come the eight subcategories:
[ Crystal Beads (5000),
Crystal Pearls (5800),
Pendants (6000),
Round Stones (1000),
Fancy Stones (4000),
Flat Backs - non Hotfix (2000),
Flat Backs Hotfix (2500-2700),
Sew On Stones (3000) ]
Each of the eight main categories above start with a unique number and everything within that catagory shares the first part of that number. The numbers are in brackets above, but staying with the crystal beads example (the 5000's) everything within that catagory will be a #5000 of some kind. In example, #5000 is a round, #5003 is a different cut round, #5040 is a spacer, a #5601 is a cube (seen in the photo above), and so on.
So, why is all this important in the first place? Well, have you ever tried to find a very specific color, finish, size, and shape? Knowing the article number is a great start. It will also determine the exact cut you are going to receive. Most are familiar with the bicone cut, but how about the #5523 (the new COSMIC bead) or the #5203 (POLYGONS)? These are very complex cuts and finding the article number and a corresponding diagram is a great tool.
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