What is the difference between SWAROVSKI pearls and FRESHWATER pearls?
Wjic is more expensive? Which is better for jewelry making?

Swarovski pearls are man-made. Freshwater pearls are "real" pearls
grown inside freshwater mussels.

I know this thread is a little old, but I think there should be some
clarification of the differences here. We deal with both Swarovski
Crystal and with Cultured Pearls.

The name Swarovski is actually a Brand Name of Crystal. They supply
about 75% of the worlds lead crystal and it is generally regarded as
the best. While we do not deal in Swarovski pearls, we do sell
undergarments that feature Swarovski accents. You can read more about
Swarovski Crystal at Angela Carol Lingerie:
http://www.angelacarol.com/customer/pages.php?pageid=13

and see some items that feature Swarovski Crystal accents at
http://www.angelacarol.com/customer/home.php?cat=101

Freshwater pearls, as mentioned above, are grown in Freshwater
mussels. These are only one type of "real" pearl however. The
different types of cultured pearls are South Sea Pearls, Tahitian
Pearls, Akoya or Japanese Pearls, and Freshwater Pearls. These are all
grown in different areas and use different mussels or oysters
(depending on whether they are saltwater or freshwater). Freshwater
pearls are what you normally find for sell in a jewelry store.

You can read about all the different types of pearls at Pearls by Angela Carol:
http://www.angelacarolpearls.com/pages.php?pageid=2

and for a guide on how we grade our pearls you can visit:
http://www.angelacarolpearls.com/pages.php?pageid=1