Swarovski Crystal

Honestly, other than the fact that Swarovski Crystal makes gorgeous jewelry, I don’t really care about the history and what the crystal contain of. To me, as long as it pretty and useful, it’s all good. But then one day a friend of mine started asking me about how long has Swarovski crystal been around and right then I was a little embarrassed of myself for being so ignorant. So, I Google up facts about Swarovski and I thought I’d share with all my readers…

Anyway, here is a brief description about Swarovski crytal that I took from Wikipedia.org

Swarovski crystal was first created when Daniel Swarovski invented an automatic cutting machine in 1892. In 1895 the Swarovski company was founded when he established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens. Here he could take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes he had patented.

Swarovski crystal contains approximately 32% lead to maximize refraction. The Swarovski Crystal range includes crystal sculptures and miniatures, jewelry and couture, home decor and chandeliers. They also sell beads and rhinestones, encouraging other manufacturers, artists and consumers to create their own designs.

All sculptures are marked with a logo. The original Swarovski logo was an edelweiss flower, but was replaced with the current swan logo in 1988.

In order to create a crystal that allows light to refract in a rainbow spectrum, Swarovski coats some of its crystals with special metallic chemical coatings. Aurora Borealis, or "AB", is one of the most popular coatings, and gives the surface a rainbow oil slick appearance. Other coatings include Crystal Transmission, Volcano, Aurum, and Dorado. Coatings may be applied to only part of an object; others are coated twice, and thus are designated AB 2X, Dorado 2X etc.

In 2004 Swarovski released Xilion, a new copyrighted cut designed to optimise the brilliance of Roses (crystal components with flat backs) and Chatons (diamond cut). Also in 2004, Swarovski created the 9 foot diameter, 550 pound star that tops the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City for the first of five consecutive years.

And thanks to Mister Daniel Swarovski, we now have beautiful, glittering and affordable components to work with to make jewelries. Seriously, Swarovski beads are my favorite. They simply create an elegant look for those who are wearing it.