The Story of Swarovski Crystal



Posted: Monday, May 11, 2009

by

An inspiring story is that of the formation of the Swarovski Crystal Company. Not many know that this modern day luxury brand was brought into existence from a son of a glass cutter in Austria. Starting off by gaining valuable experience in his father's small workshop, he went on to create an electric machine that revolutionized the entire crystal-cutting industry. More than a century after the company was established in 1895, the company employs more than twenty two thousand employees.

The founder of the company, Daniel Swarovski, was born in 1862 in (now known as Wattens). Towards the end of the 19 th century, he received a patent for the electric machine that was used to produce lead crystal glass jewelry. Then, with financers Armand Kosman and Franz Weis, he founded the Swarovski crystal company that initially was known as A. Kosmann, Daniel Swarovski & Co. The name was further renamed K.S. & Co.

One of the major incidents that helped the company become a great force in the crystal industry was the set-up of a plant in Wattens, Tyrol. The area used hydroelectricity for the various grinding processes required. This reduced the cost of energy consumed, as most of these processes demanded considerable energy. Swarovski also patented this technology to keep away the threat of competitors using it, thus gaining a huge advantage over most of the crystal production houses.

The company had an Edelweiss logo incorporated on all its products, however in the late 1980's it was changed to a swan logo that is associated with the company's products even today.

Throughout its history the company has been associated with popular names and has come up with unique offerings for its customers. In 1956, the Aurora Borealis crystal effect was created in collaboration with Christian Dior. This was an effective design that drew inspirations from the visual qualities at the North Pole. In 1976, they created a silver mouse as an emblem for the winter Olympics. This is considered to be one of the most significant events in the increasing popularity of crystal among collectors. The showpieces were further enhanced and a range of home accessories were developed. These showpieces are all highly attractive and exclusive.

In 2004, the Swarovski Crystal Company also sponsored the movie "The Phantom of the Opera" with a magnificent chandelier made out of Swarovski crystals. In the same year, they made a 9 foot crystal star on top of a Christmas tree in New York City.

The Swarovski Crystal Company has been one of the top producers of lead crystals for many years and has customers around the world. It can be said that the perception and growth of the company has been as inspiring as their exclusive and exquisite designs, if not more. The story highlights the will and grit of an ordinary man who made it big, where his name is now a synonymous with the brand: Daniel Swarovski.

Scott Bailey is an avid collector and writer. If you are looking for a Swarovski crystal piece, please visit us at Collector Crystal

This Article has been viewed 723 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.