To create an AB Swarovski crystal bead, a colored bead is painted with an AB finish. The coating only covers about half of the bead's surface. The finish gives the bead a multi-faceted appearance. As the bead is turned, the light catches specks of the original colored-glass bead followed by the speckles of the AB Finish. Each bead has many surfaces, so as the bead is rotated under the light, it creates a rainbow effect.

Aurora Borealis (AB) adds a gorgeous pastel rainbow sheen to the sparkle of Swarovski's premium-cut facets. This iridescent coating is named after the beautiful Northern Lights that decorate the arctic skies - you'll find these crystals to be similarly stunning! This iridescent AB coating can be difficult to perfectly capture in crystal photos and illustrations: some images may capture the blue flash, others may capture a yellow or pink flash, but all of these sparkling crystal AB components perfectly match each other in real life. Plus,their subtle iridescence blends nearly effortlessly with most other colors!