Sparkling Beginnings
In 1892, Daniel Swarovski registered a patent for his machine that cut crystal on an industrial scale with greater speed and precision than the manual process. This was the start of one of the most sought after crystal production centers in art history. Daniel Swarovski founded his company in the Alps, named for his family, in 1895.
In the late 19th Century, crystal was regularly used to enhance formal evening wear. Crystal pieces were actually sewn into formal jackets and gowns. Swarovski took advantage of this fashion trend and in 1913, he created his own crystals exclusively for the fashion industry.
Always the entrepneur, Swarovski used the stortage of cutting machines and materials during World War I to enhance his business. For the war effort, Swarovski produced grinding and dressing tools that were used to process crystal stones and he marketed them under the name of Tyrolit from 1917 to 1919. Until about 1956, Swarovski would often use the innovations of his original crystal company by developing subsidiary companies which provided products for automotive and roadway reflectors, telescopes, and lenses.
Worldwide recognition
By mid 20th Century, Swarovski returned to the work of jewelry-making and crystal promotion using special treatments to produce colorful effects within crystal. This new found popularity of Swarovski's pieces made the firm's crystal the desired crystal for famous chandeliers that graced such sites as the Metropolitan Opera House, major museums, and the castles owned by European monarchs. By the late 1960s, Swarovski's stones were utilized in home design, fashion, and jewelry markets worldwide.
Olympic Crystal
By 1976, Swarovski's business expanded from that of a cutting, manufacturing, and jewelry production facility to a business committed to silver crystal as an end product for figurines and collectibles. The first crystal collectible sold by Swarovski was a mouse figurine. The mouse, a best seller at the Innsbruck Olympic Games, enjoyed prominence throughout the world. In the early 1990s, exhibitions featured Swarovski crystal and its crystal technology. In 1995, the company celebrated its 100th anniversary with the production of a prominent Swarovski century swan in silver crystal. In that same year, the firm opened its exhibition center featuring a history of crystal and the Swarovski company.
Assortment of production Swarovski
Swarovski Flact Back HotFix
Swarovski Flat Back NO HotFix
Swarovski Sew-on Stones
Swarovski Beads
Swarovski Pendants
The originality of production Swarovski consists not only in a plenty of the forms, colours and sizes, but also in application of special effects, which strengthen shine and change perception of colour of crystals.
The colour decisions
Classical colours: Amethist, Aquamarine, Black Diamond, Blue Zircon, Capri Blue, Crystal, Crystal AB, Emerald, Fuchsia, Hyazinth, Jet, Jet AB, Jet Hematite, Jonguil, Jonguil AB, Light Amethyst, Light Colorado Topaz, Light Rose, Light Sapphire, Light Siam, Light Siam AB, Montana, Olivine, Peridot, Rose, Ruby, Sapphire, Siam, Smoked Topaz, Topaz, Topaz AB.
Original colours: Blue Zircon Satin, Burgundy, Citrine, Cobalt, Crysolite, Crystal Cosmojet, Crystal Dorado, Crystal Meridian Blue, Crystal Sage, Crystal Tabac, Crystal Volcano, Erinite, Fire Opal, Jet Nut, Jonguil Satin, Light Peach, Light Siam Satin, Light Topaz, Padparadscha, Sapphire Satin, Smoked Topaz Satin, Sun, Tanzanite, White Opal, White Opal Sky Blue.
All colours are evidently submitted in a Map of colours.
Effects
The effects, which can have the crystals, are be of two types - are put on a surface and on a back of a stone (for flat stones).
Effects is put on a back of a stone:
G - "gold" colour
S - "silver" colour
M - "metal" colour
U - without a layer
The effect is created at the expense of drawing on back special layer of a foil.
Effects is put on a surface of a stone:
AB - Aurore Boreale
CAL - Comet Argent Light
GlBl - Glacier Blue
Hem - Hematite
BBl - Bermuda Blue
Helio - Heliotrope
VL - Vitrail Light
VM - Vitrail Medium
The superficial effects allowing to change colour and to strengthen shine of a stone, are created at the expense of vacuum drawing of various structures.
Possible additions to effects:
V - drawing on the contrary, i.e. put on the opposite party (for example, CAL V on bottom, and VM V on the top surface of a stone);
Z - the drawing is put only on a part of a stone, i.e. only on some of his(its) surfaces (for example, Crystal Helio Z);
B - the drawing is put on three surfaces cube (for example, VM B);
2x - the drawing is put on both parties of a stone (for example, Crystal AB 2x).
mat-finish - matte covering of all surface of a stone. The matte covering is impossible at 1012 and 1100 sizes РР. At all others are possible after the given process of a deviation in the sizes.
Motives:
М - the motive is executed with the help of the laser. The motive with a matte surface is submitted in two measurements (only on a plane - to a surface of a stone);
МЕ - motive executed with the help press. The motive is profound in a stone and is shown in three measurements;
MF - pasted. The three-value number gives the information on colour of the pasted stones.
Sizes
Each name submitted in the catalogue of production is accessible in the various sizes. The sizes are specified either in millimeters, or as a designation - ss (Stone Sise) and correspond to the table of the sizes in metric measurement:
ss 6 - 1,90-2,10 mm;
ss 8 - 2,30-2,50 mm;
ss 10 - 2,70-2,90 mm;
ss 12 - 3,00-3,20 mm;
ss 16 - 3,80-4,00 mm;
ss 20 - 4,60-4,80 mm;
ss 30 - 6,32-6,50 mm;
ss 34 - 7,069-7,272 mm.