How Is Austrian Crystal Made?
Austrian crystals are manmade gemstones invented by Daniel Swarovski. Swarovski was born in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic, in 1862. He served a two-year apprenticeship in his father’s factory as a glass cutter. That experience and inspiration from the effects of light provided the background for Swarovski’s crystal creations. The term “Austrian crystal” refers to crystals created by Swarovski. Does this Spark an idea?
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Innovative Technology
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Inspired by the inventions of Thomas Edison, Daniel Swarovski invented an automatic crystal-cutting machine that he patented in 1892. The machine became essential for the mass production of Austrian crystals. In 1895, he established his Swarovski crystal production company in Wattens, Austria, away from the prying eyes of competing jewelry manufacturers and close to a source of electrical power needed for his factory.
Unique Composition
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Swarovski sought to create crystals with a high refraction rate. Refraction, the bending of light waves, accounts for the sparkle of the crystal. Through experimentation, Swarovski came up with a formula that produced a high-quality, full-lead crystal. He added a minimum of 32 percent lead to molten glass, resulting in crystals with outstanding refraction, or sparkle.
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Precision Faceting
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Today, computer technology is used to produce identical facets in crystals. Computers design 100 facets in different directions and convert the design to a three-dimensional model. This technique was perfected in 1995.
Crystal Fabric
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Swarovski invented Crystal Mesh fabric in 1993, which is made of tightly woven crystals. Swarovski worked with fashion designers including Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana to create articles made of this fabric.
Inspiration
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The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, inspired Daniel Swarovski to create crystal rainbow-colored jewelry. In 1950, in collaboration with Christian Dior, the Aurora Borealis crystal effect in Swarovski jewelry became a great success on the catwalk. This effect is still used by designers to enhance their jewelry collections.
Swarovski Today
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Swarovski continues to reinvent itself as a success story. The world took note of Austrian crystal when Swarovski created the Silver Crystal Mouse in 1976 as a representation of the Winter Olympics that took place in Innsbruck, Austria. Today, Austrian crystals come in a wide range of colors, sizes and shapes. For professional or amateur jewelry making, Austrian crystal Swarovski beads are available for individual sale.
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References
- Photo Credit crystal image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
