In most cases, this is the rhinestone of choice when decorating costumes, shirts, horse tack, belts, etc... This is a very high quality rhinestone made by Preciosa in the Czech Republic. The main visible difference, other than the facets, is that the "Crystal" color is very slightly less bright than the Swarovksi "Crystal" color, but at distances over 4 feet this rhinestone is actually brighter, provides more bling and is considerably lower priced. If you want something to look prettier close up stick with Swarovski but if you need something that flashes brighter from a distance and is more durable (less breakage), choose Preciosa. With only 8 facets vs. the 14 of Swarovski, the light is less broken up when refracted and therefore causes the sparkle to go farther. If you need a brand name to sell your product, then by all means stick with Swarovski as well. If that isn't important to you, then definitely consider this rhinestone. We suggest getting both rhinestone color charts, currently on special, then you can see the actual stones in the actual colors to compare them side by side and choose what's best for your particular application