Contrary to many people’s beliefs, Swarovski crystals are not rock crystals, but glass stones made by special technology.
In this article, we will tell you how this brand appeared and developed, what makes the famous Swarovski crystals as an original product distinguishes from low-quality counterfeits.
Swarovski stones: more than 120 years of history
Products such as Swarovski brand crystals are an old family business founded by Daniel Swarovski in 1895 in Wattens, at the foot of the picturesque Austrian Alps. Daniel’s father owned a small glass factory where the boy studied glass and costume jewelry from an early age.. Daniel’s goal has always been to create “diamonds for all.” He made glass crystals by melting a mixture of quartz sand, potassium, and soda at very high temperatures. The exact process and relationship to this day remain top-secret. Also, Read - Men’s silver bracelet: which is better to choose
To obtain unique refraction of light in the iridescent spectrum, appropriate cutting angles developed over the years are used, as well as special metal coatings that scatter light. In 1882, Daniel patented an electric machine for cutting glass, which is much more accurate than manual cutting. From 1899 he began to use the image of the noble edelweiss mountain flower in his company’s logo and gained popularity in France as Pierres Taillées du Tyrol - a faceted stone from Tyrol often called “welded crystal”.
In 1919, a subsidiary of the Tyrolit Group was established, specializing in the production of tools for grinding, polishing, cutting, sewing, and drilling crystals.
One of Hollywood’s most charismatic stars, the legendary fatal woman, icon, and designer of her own style, Marlene Dietrich made her feature film debut in 1932 in Blond Venus in jewelry and attire adorned with Swarovski crystals.
In 1939, the legendary design of ruby shoes for Dorothy from the film The Wizard of Oz was created. In the same year, on the basis of the patent of his son Daniel Wilhelm, using the properties of stones and crystals, Swarovski began to produce binoculars, telescopes, and telescopes used for hunting and travel.
In 1950, a new brand emerged: Swarovski Optik Swareflex, which offers intelligent road safety systems and lighting solutions for industrial facilities, transport areas, hotels, and shops. Swarovski crystals began to be used by iconic designers such as Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli.
In 1953, the famous film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” was released, where Marilyn Monroe sings in a dress adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals.
1956 marked the appearance of the famous AB effect from Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), which causes the crystal to sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow.
In 1961, Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” dazzled viewers with a designer crown of Swarovski crystals.
In 1962, Marilyn Monroe sang the famous song “Happy Birthday Mr. President ”for President JF Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in a body-colored dress by Jean Louis, adorned with 2,500 Swarovski crystals in a thousand colors in the spotlight.
Under the Swarovski brand in 1965 began production of precisely faceted gemstones such as sapphire, peridot, amethyst, and marcasite.
In 1966, the newly founded Swarovski Lighting brand decorated the stage of the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York with crystal chandeliers.
In 1976, the idea of mass production of crystal figurines from Swarovski crystals arose. In the same year, the world’s first zircon machine cutting company for the jewelry industry was founded.
In 1983, the first Silver Crystal Suite opened on the prestigious Old Bond Street in London. The crystal statuette of the turtle was stolen on the first day of the opening. Since then, the tradition of producing an annual limited Christmas statuette of rhinestones has also been established.
In 1989, the swan became the symbolic logo of the Swarovski brand.
Shiny Crystal Mesh fabric, covered with small crystals, was developed in 1993.
Daniel Nadia’s great-granddaughter joined the family business in 1995. By the century of the factory, the Swarovski Crystal Worlds Museum was established on its territory. It consisted of 17 halls of wonders. They were designed by world-renowned artists such as Brian Eno, Tord Buntier, Nicki de Saint-Fall, Jim Whiting, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, and Yayo Kusama. Each artist interpreted Swarovski stones in his own way, so each room differs in its individual description of the theme and atmosphere. In 1999, Alexander McQueen’s famous crystal mesh appeared in the Spring-Summer collection.
In 2001, Swarovski crystals adorned Nicole Kidman’s satin costumes at the Moulin Rouge during a musical performance by Luhrmann’s Base.
In 2002, Nadia Swarovski created the Crystal Palace in collaboration with talented lighting and design designers.
2003 saw the premiere of Swarovski Rocks crystal fabric, the first textile material to be made using innovative Hot-Fix technology. It can be ironed, sewn, and glued to other materials.
2004 saw the debut of Xilion’s innovative faceting, which increases the intensity of the glow and mesmerizing light effects of the crystals.
During the Confessions World Tour, Madonna dazzled the audience in costumes adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals.
In 2007, in collaboration with The Academy Awards, a crystal curtain was created with more than 50,000 crystals, which is the backdrop for the biggest Hollywood stars at the Oscars. In the same year, Atelier Swarovski appeared, making collections of crystal accessories together with world artists and designers of fashion, jewelry, and architecture.
The Philips brand has started cooperating to decorate USB devices and headphones from the Active Crystals collection.
In 2009, after three years of designing, researching, and testing the famous Swiss quartz movement, the first collection of Swarovski Crystal Watches appeared, combining elegance with luxury.
In 2010, Michael Jackson’s Swarovski crystal gloves were sold at auction for $ 192,000.
In 2011 the first Aura by Swarovski perfumes was created.
In 2012, Xirius 1088, the brightest star in the galaxy, resembled a gemstone. Thanks to the new standards of precision cutting techniques, the crystal has become stronger, the colors are saturated.
In 2015, on the Rebellion Heart tour, Madonna used 350 costumes made from more than 2.5 million Swarovski crystals of 50 colors and 60 cuts. 120,000 crystals were used to decorate her clothes, shoes, masks, hats, gloves, and guitar straps.
In 2017, 25 years after the death of actress Marlene Dietrich, Swarovski and ElektroCouture created a dress adorned with 2,000 crystals and 150 LEDs. This was inspired by the actress’s correspondence with fashion designer Jean Louis in 1958. Penelope Cruz becomes the global ambassador of the Swarovski brand.
At Victoria’s Secret show in 2018, Swarovski crystals adorned a Fantasy bra worth more than $ 1 million.
In 2019, cooperation with Dior and Chanel began. Today, Swarovski crystal is an element of jewelry, mainly earrings, and rings, as well as clothing, shoes, bags, scarves, scarves, hats, watches, smartphone cases. Sequins, rhinestones, and sequins are accessories that are widely used in the cosmetics industry, nail service, interior design in the form of handles for roller blinds, chandeliers, doors, furniture handles.
In 2014, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary, the attractions of the Museum of Crystal Worlds were renovated and expanded by adding a crystal cloud consisting of 800,000 crystals, a game tower, and a restaurant where chilled champagne.
How to determine the value of Swarovski crystals?
This brand is known for its masterful innovations and creativity, thanks to which it creates trends for the year ahead, rather than following them. Swarovski revolutionized crystal processing. Thanks to the honed quality of grinding and cutting, he creates multi-layered compositions, angles, and colors, getting the perfect solution. Many years of practice and constant development allow him to guarantee the identity of each product due to the quality, shape, size, color, and luster not only of the front surface of the crystal, but also its bottom, inner part, and even the hole. A wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes, as well as regular expansion of the range - the introduction of new products twice a year -, make the collections of this brand a fabulous treasure of inspiration for designers from around the world. As a result, many low-quality fakes appear.
| Original: | Imitation: |
|
|
To buy quality Swarovski crystals or jewelry from this brand, rather than its imitation, you need to know how to distinguish a fake from the original.
As more and more low-quality counterfeits fill the market, Swarovski has introduced another protection in the form of a certificate of authenticity of crystals, which must be issued when buying jewelry and printing. It is a hologram containing images of the Alps, inscriptions of the company’s founding year, the name of the new collection, and an individual number by which the batch of the manufacturer can be identified.
In Swarovski jewelry collections, everyone will find something for themselves - from glowing rhinestones to matte crystals. Check out the catalog of the Silvers online store, which offers a wide range of products of this brand. Order with delivery across Ukraine, shine like stars and enjoy the beautiful brilliance of the northern lights.
