 Crystal clear beauty
by Nilma Dole
 Imagine a delightful Swarovski
crystal wine glass where your guests mix and mingle at your dinner
party. Or a wonderful chess set encased in crystal clear sparkle or even
a crystal chandelier to glitter the attention your house brings. A
lovely crystal ornament not only brings shimmering shine to your humble
abode but is also a special way of showing your status.
Swarovski, in which the fine art of crystals are made with, is the
brand name for a range of precisely-cu crystal glass and related luxury
products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria. The story of
mind-boggling crystals began with Daniel Swarovski who was born in
northern Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was a glass cutter
who owned a small glass factory. It was here that a young Daniel served
an apprenticeship, becoming skilled in the art of glass-cutting.
In 1892 he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the
production of crystal glass.
In 1895, Swarovski financier Armand Kosman and Franz Weis founded the
Swarovski company, originally known as A. Kosmann, Daniel Swarovski &
Co, which was later shortened to K.S. & Co.
The company established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens, Tyrol,
to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive
grinding processes which Daniel Swarovski had patented.
 The Swarovski Crystal range includes crystal sculptures and
miniatures, jewellery and couture, home decor and chandeliers. 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. Aurora Borealis, or “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 and more.
In Sri Lanka, it was crystal magic all the way when Priyanthi
Fernando introduced our eyes and senses to a wonderful world of crystal
clear beauty with a variety of stunning crystal ornaments and crockery
to suit your desire.
Collecting more than a 100 crystal pieces that are to die for,
Priyanthi said that her crystal craze started out as a hobby because of
her passion for sparkles.
“I was fascinated by crystals that were not just beautiful in
decorating a home but also a symbol of status and prestige among
societal circles,” she said. Priyanthi became a member of Swarovski when
she lived in England. |
