Crystal is a Collector's Best Friend: Collecting Swarovski Crystal

Everyone knows that "diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” and there is no denying that diamonds are the mother of all precious stones.  But what if there were a stone that looked and  sparkled just like a diamonds, and carried the elegance and beauty of a diamond, without the outrageous price tag?  Thanks to Daniel Swarovski, that dream is a reality! At the turn of the century, Daniel Swarovski found a way to so precisely and uniquely cut fine crystal that it created a brilliance comparable to a perfectly cut diamond.  Over the years, Swarovski has branched out and created everything from stones for jewelry to figurines, making “Swavorki crystal a collector’s best friend!”

Why Swavorski is Different from Any Other Crystal
(http://www.wisegeek.com)

The characteristics of Swarovski crystals are unparalleled in both style and substance. Not only are their cuts distinct, but the assorted colors and shapes cover a broad spectrum. The brilliant sparkle of each crystal is actually resulted from a glass composition containing 32 percent lead. Besides this refraction maximizing strategy, special metallic coatings are used on some of the crystals to ensure that light refracts from the surface in a rainbow spectrum.


The History of Swarovski Crystal
(courtesy of http://www.thehistoryof.net)

Swarovski - the world renowned manufacturer of beautifully shaped, colored and ornate crystal products - grew out of a family business. Originally established in the early 19th century, this company has now spanned 3 centuries. The principal founder of this company Daniel Swarovski apprenticed within his father's own Bohemian glass foundry. Bohemia at that time was renowned throughout Europe and America for its particular style of crystal glass making, perhaps more so for its cheapness than quality when compared to, say, the beauty and expertise required for the production of Murano glass. It was towards the end of the 19th century that Daniel Swarovski came up with the idea of cutting glass with an electric powered tool.

The Glass Cutting Tool That Started It All

By 1892 he had produced a workable prototype machine and decided to patent his invention. So effective was this machine in cutting and creating precision and multifaceted crystal glass, that he proceeded to set up his own company with some other financiers, Weis and Kosman. For centuries, it had long been the habit for Bohemian glass foundries to be somewhat nomadic, needing to uproot their complete factory, with workers and families, and move to new forest lands, which would provide fuel for their furnaces for another decade or more. So, and after careful consideration, it was not too surprising that Swarovski and his new partners, Armand Kosman and Franz Weis, decided to set up the new company in a new country and away from glass manufacturing competitors. Wattens in the Austrian Alps, not far from Innsbruck, was the chosen site. The choice was based on the fact that there was the recently created hydro-electricity plant within the vicinity, which provided cheap electrical energy. This was clearly a sensible move since the new glass cutting production machinery required a considerable amount of electrical power generation for its grinding and polishing process and saved the need to migrate as and when local forest wood would have got depleted.

Sometime around 1895, with their patent granted, plans and construction went ahead for the initial factory production line, which was completed and in limited operation before the end of the year. As with all inventions, it took several years for the ironing out of flaws within the lead crystal glass production.

Flawless Crystal Production Becomes Fashionable

From the beginning of the 20th century, although Armand Cosman was still involved to a degree, the company was a family project and it was no surprise to see Daniel's sons all becoming involved within the factory. In fact it was Alfred, Friedrich and Wilhelm, three of his sons, who were able to change and upgrade the production process to enable the creation of what they are now most renowned for - one of the highest quality, fault-free, crystal products available at that time – and still to this day.

From 1913, and with the production line now able to create products of virtually faultless perfection and in greater quantities, their crystal jewellery became renowned as one of the finest in the world. In fact they have continued to maintain their reputation, market share and celebrity right into the 21st century.

It took another 10 years for the world of fashion to begin to court and create their long term romance with these stunning gemlike stones. Swarovski flirted with the idea of embedding crystals within the fabric. It was designers like Schaparelli and Chanel who responded to these advances and so won over the hearts of fashion
designers, lovers and wearers alike.

The Aurora Borealis Innovation

Though the Great Depression of the early 1930s, and then also the Second World War reduced the demand for Swarovski glass, they were not altogether forgotten. However it took a new generation and the Aurora Borealis designs in the mid-1950s to re-establish and reaffirm their reputation and innovation. This line of jewellery was the creation of the grandson, Manfred Swarovski, and possessed a dreamlike sparkle of rainbow colors created by a trace metal coating. The process was brought to perfection with input from Christian Dior, the famous French fashion designer.

More Design Innovations Flow

The 1970s again saw new Swarovski innovations. Animal figurines of crystal were created in 1976, the earliest being that of the head of a mouse. It is said that the idea came while playing with parts used for the construction of crystal chandeliers. With the Olympic Games taking place at Innsbruck the same year, many of the Olympics visitors found this a souvenir they could not refuse. A year later the somewhat natural looking and sparkling Cubic Zirconia was created. It was synthetic, cheap and revolutionised the world of fashion and jewellery.
In the 1980s, vividly coloured jewellery, fashion handbags and accessories were added to their growing portfolio.

A Hundred Years and Beyond

The Hundred Year (1895 - 1995) Anniversary of the Swarovski company was lavishly celebrated with the opening of a spectacular crystal grotto in their original home town of Wattens in Austria known as Swarovski Kristallwelten or Swarovski's World of Crystal. Many designers, artists, artisans and musicians were asked to provide their creations to adorn this truly fabulous Aladdin's cave of crystal. Their fame and demand for their exquisite and scintillating products has been maintained and no doubt will continue for decades, if not centuries to come.

Swarovski Product Lines

(courtesy of http://www.crystalfanaticsclub.com)

Silver Crystal

Swarovski's major product line - 1987 to Present Note: some older pieces issued prior to 1987, with some of them dating back to the mid 70's, have no logo.

They include:

- Animals,

- Candleholders,

- Christmas Ornaments (earlier ornaments were issued under the New Crystal Concepts, and Giftware Suite lines). D. Swarovski & Co. began issuing the Christmas Ornaments in 1995 when the Swan logo was applied.

- Clocks,

- Crystal City (Retired),

- Dealer Plaques & Paperweights (not sold to the public),

- Fruit and Botanical Items,

- Musical Instruments,

- Nativity Scene (Retired),

- Paperweights ~ in various sizes, shapes, & colors (most colors have been
discontinued or retired, and were of European issue). Many of the older pieces are unmarked, with no logo and are not considered "Silver Crystal" issues. Some of them were issued under the New Crystal Concepts, Giftware Suite, and New Crystal Colors line.

- Picture Frames,

- Toys,

- Treasure Boxes (most are retired)

- Other various uncategorized designs.

Arribas Brothers/Disney

Numerous items have been produced celebrating Walt Disney's wonderful characters, and issued by Arribas Bros., in for the Disney Parks in California, Florida, Paris, and Tokyo, using only Swarovski crystals in limited, sometimes numbered, editions.

They Include:

- The Dumbo Elephants, all retired, some of them worth in excess of $5,000.00.

- The Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters! Those that are retired are worth hundreds, if not, thousands of dollars!

- Winnie the Pooh, issued by Paris Disneyland.

- The FABULOUS FIVE! Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto miniatures issued as a Ltd Ed. of 500 in a Special boxed Set that SOLD OUT! in no time, although you are able to order them separately at the current time.

- Numerous paperweights celebrating Disneyland/Disney World anniversaries and events. You can visit http://www.arribasbros.com to see many of these items, or, LOOK HERE! We have them in the Photo Galleries on site.

Crystal Colors

These include the "Birds on the Thimbles", either on a pine cone or a barreled base. They were issued during the early 90's and all are retired. Values range from $65.00 to $85.00.

Christmas Memories

1996 to Present, part of the Crystal Memories line, began with the 1996 Ltd Ed. Angel ornament, and through the years, additional Christmas ornaments have been added.

Crystal Memories

1993 to Present; considered a major product line, it began as an inexpensive way to collect Swarovski crystal, but with the introduction of the new "Journeys" line, has become pricier.

Crystal Signatures

These are better known as Ebeling & Reuss (E&R), made with Swarovski Crystal, dating back to the early 80's. Some of these pieces are valuable and very much sought after by collectors. They came boxed in the same round Swarovski tube you are accustomed to seeing, only in blue, with "crafted by D. Swarovski & Co., Wattens Austria" in writing on the package. They are all retired and have the "signature S" logo on them.

- Issue prices for the animals series, which are highly sought after, ranged from $100 to $140, with values presently between $225 and $360.00.

- E&R also produced tiny vases known as "The Petite Floral Collection", and a lot of them were to be found in the Hallmark stores. This is a series of seven pieces (I got em all!) produced and discontinued in the '80's. Issue price was $35.00 to $40.00 and they are valued between $140.00 and $275.00.

- And then there was "The Arctic Collection"; (80's timeframe) these are tiny pieces portraying penguins, seals, eskimos, etc., most of which are on ice floats. Issue price for this series was $25; values range between $100 and $150.00.

- And last but not least, we have "The Whimsical Collection" also produced and ended in the 80's, issued at $35 ea. with values from $100 to $180.00.

Crystalogram

The Crystalograms were designed by Huber Weidinger, a Viennese son of a well-known sculptor, and an award-winning painter. He lives in the Tyrol, and these issues were entitled, "The Five by Weidinger". Because they were so unusual in design, they were not very popular and were shunned by the collectors. These consist of a painting applied by silk screen to the back of a piece of glass, with the imagery built in reverse. They are numbered, dated and signed by the artist. They came in small and larger sizes. The large crystalograms have 1200 faceted crystal stones, while the smaller ones have 400 stones. The smaller sizes were 12" square and limited in production to 4,999, while the larger 24 1/2" square were only limited to 99 pieces. They are truly unique, and values for the smaller rendition range from $550 to $800, while the larger paintings are valued in the $5,000 - $7,500 price range; they are all now closed editions.

Daniel Swarovski Art Objects

3 well-known Italian designers were commissioned to produce this line of products: Ettore Sottsass, Alessandro Mendini, and Stefano Ricci. All studied in architecture before turning their talents to crystal! Each piece is signed and numbered, and issued with the artist's signature, as well as Mr. Helmuth Swarovski's signature. If you got a LOT of money, you can collect these items. A VERY limited number of each piece was issued (ie., 100, 250, 500) and issue prices range from $1060 (rare) ALL THE WAY to $42,800.00 (yep, you're reading that right!). When these pieces retire, hold on to your wallets! the values double! For the VERY "ELITE" collector!

Julia's World

These were issued in the late 80's and were based on a book by Julia Limpke, and only distributed by Swarovski of America Ltd. There are 9 pieces of the boys and girls featured in the book, and all were discontinued in 1992. Original issue prices ranged from $29.50 to $55.00, all are now discontinued, and range in value from $60.00 (for the book it is based on) to $300.00 for the figurines.

Swarovski Crystal How Tos

(courtesy of www.ehow.com)

How To Identify a Genuine Swavorski Crystal

Step 1

Look inside the crystal. If you see any bubbles, then it is not a genuine Swarovski crystal.

Step 2

Purchase Swarovski crystals that are packaged in genuine Swarovski boxes and packaging. These will be of higher quality and bear the "Swarovski" name--spelled correctly!

Step 3

Watch for swirl marks or scratches on the surface of the crystal. These imperfections are a sign that Swarovski vacuum processing was not used. The surface of an inferior product will also appear oily.

Step 4

Placing a genuine Swarovski crystal next to a crystal manufactured by another company will allow you to see that Swarovski crystals generally shine brighter than a crystal of lesser quality.

Step 5

Cutting by machine makes each Swarovski crystal identical. The facet junctures inside the crystal will also always point upward.

Step 6

Purchase Swarovski crysals from authorized Swarovski dealers.

How to Properly Clean a Swavorski Crystal

Things You'll Need:

• Feather or Lambswool Duster
• Cotton Cloth
• Soft Brush
• Toothpick
• Crystal Polishing Cloth
• Mild Dish Soap
• Lukewarm Water

Step 1

Gently dust the surface of the Swarovski crystal using a feather or lambswool duster to remove any hair or dust from the piece. If you are cleaning a smaller display item, you could use a makeup brush. If you are afraid of scratching the surface, you can also use compressed air to blow the dust from the crystal.

Step 2

Lay the crystal on a clean cotton cloth. Use the cloth as a work surface, not to clean the crystal.

Step 3

Wipe the crystals clean with a special Swarovski crystal cleaning/polishing cloth. This will not scratch the surface of the crystal, whereas other types of cloth might.

Step 4

Use lukewarm water to rinse the crystal if there is any buildup on the surface. If the buildup won't wash away, you can use a watered-down mild dish soap. Don't use any other commercial cleaners on the crystals.

Tips & Warnings

Only use a Swarovski polishing cloth on Swarovski crystals.

Don't use a cotton cloth to polish the crystal, as this may scratch the surface.

Don't use commercial cleaners to clean the crystal.

Only use water and a mild dish soap if necessary.