Swarovski Colour Chart

Below is the Colour Chart for Swarovski Crystal Beads.
Click image to view full size.

Swarovski

Swarovski is the luxury brand name for the range of precision-cut lead crystal glass and related products produced by companies owned by Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, near Zürich, Switzerland.

History

Daniel Swarovski (1862, Georgenthal – 1956, Wattens) was born to a glass cutter in North Bohemia, today a part of the Czech Republic. During his two-year apprenticeship in his father's small factory, young Daniel Swarovski I gained expertise in cutting glass. In 1892, he patented his invention of an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of lead crystal glass jewelery and revolutionised the crystal cutting process.

Swarovski realized that he needed more water, power and a factory building in order for his plans to manifest. In addition, he needed to move away from competitors to keep his inventions a secret. So, he chose to settle in Wattens, Tyrol.

In 1895 Swarovski, financier Armand Kosman and Franz Weis founded the Swarovski company, originally known as K.S. & Co (A. Kosmann, Daniel Swarovski & Co). The company established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes which Daniel Swarovski had patented.

Products

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. 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. Inspired by nature's display of colours at the North Pole, the northern lights, the glamourous Aurora Borealis (AB) crystal effect was created in the 1950s, in association with French designer, Christian Dior. 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.

Crystallized - Swarovski Elements

The company also sells crystal beads for use by manufacturers, artists and consumers in their designs. Crystal beads are very popular and easy to use. They are available in the latest fashion colours, effects and cuts.

In 2007, Swarovski also launched the product brand website crystallized.com, which provides information for designers and manufacturers in the worlds of fashion, jewellery, accessories and interiors. Crystallized - Swarovski Elements is the new product brand for Swarovski crystals in a variety of sizes, shapes and colours. Products that are labelled with this brand guarantee the originality of Swarovski crystals used in creations of international fashion houses and designers.

The above information is obtained from Swarovski, Wikipedia and Crystallized.

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