Marcarsite is often used to imitate the sparkle of diamonds. It is most frequently set in sterling silver and will usually have decorative silver markings surrounding the Marcarsite stones. Marcarsite jewelry was popular in Victorian times and made resurgence in the 1920s and 1930s as people looked for attractive low cost alternatives to diamonds. As new designs have been produced, Marcarsite jewelry has again made resurgence in popularity today. Marcarsite beads all have a beautiful high polish applied to the sterling silver. The Marcarsite stones are each precision cut to ensure the most refractive sparkle. Marcarsite is usually cut in one of two places. The Marcarsite cut in Switzerland is considerably more expensive because of the high labor rates. The Marcarsite cut in Thailand is more affordable and just as beautiful. Note that some of the Marcarsite marketed as ‘Swiss’ is now being cut in Thailand, and re-brandgherg . . . just priced hed (and re-priced) as Swiss Marcarsite. So in many cases it is the exact same thing, just priced higher.