Swarovski Soulmate Panther – Black vs Moroda

Last month, I wrote an article about the Swarovski Black Panther and its latest rival the Swarovski Moroda Panther, both a part of the Swarovski Soulmate product line.  For the most part, I had two questions:

1. What is the difference in color between the Swarovski Black Panther and the Swarovski Moroda Panther?
2. And if the colors are nearly identical, is the value of the Swarovski Limited Edition Black Panther going to decline as a result of a nearly identical release?

Originally, when the article was written, on the Swarovski site, the panther’s color was described as it gleams intensely in Moroda crystal.   It was up to the buyer to figure out what ‘Moroda crystal’ was.

I’m happy to see that Swarovski has expanded upon their description of the color.  A portion of the Swarovski Panther product description states it gleams intensely in Moroda crystal, radiating from a metallic blue to warm bronze and brown-black tones.  I think this still leaves a bit to the imagination, but it does sound like an interesting color, if these dark rainbow tones do come out when displayed in a Swarovski collector’s cabinet.

 

(Pictured above, left to right are the Swarovski Soulmate Panthers:  Moroda Panther, Black Panther, and Clear Panther)
Here’s a quick comparison between the Swarovski Black Panther and Swarovski Moroda Panther if you’re considering a purchase:

 

• Availability…
  Swarovski Black Panther – Swarovski Numbered Limited Edition (more difficult to locate)
  Swarovski Moroda Panther – Brand New 2011, not numbered, not limited
• Color…
  Swarovski Black Panther – Jet Black
  Swarovski Moroda Panther – Moroda crystal, radiating from a metallic blue to warm bronze and brown-black tones
• Where to Purchase…
  Swarovski Black Panther – Retired.  Must be purchased on the Secondary Market or Online Auction
  Swarovski Moroda Panther –  Brand New.  Can be purchased from the Swarovski web site or any authorized retailer (still not available to purchase in the USA online)
• Price…
  Swarovski Black Panther – Purchase price likely to be $3000 – $4000
  Swarovski Moroda Panther – Purchase price $960 (or maybe less if you have a good relationship with your Swarovski store)

If you still prefer clear figurines over colored figurines, the crystal brand is retiring the clear Swarovski Soulmate Panther this year (2011).  The clear cat has a system number of 874 337.  The Swarovski designer credited for the elegant design is Heinz Tabertshofer.  All the Swarovski Soulmate Panther figurines come in a firm case, a cleaning cloth, and gloves.  All retail(ed) for $960.

If you are a feline fanatic, there are other Swarovski crystal wild cat figurines:  Swarovski Tiger, Swarovski Golden Shadow Lion, Swarovski Lion, and Swarovski Leopard.  Most of these feline figurines can be found at the Crystal Exchange America web site:  http://www.crystalexchange.com/ .