The Shimmering Effects of Aurora Borealis Crystals

The Shimmering Effects of Aurora Borealis Crystals

Aurora Borealis crystals are some of the brightest and most colourful of all crystals in jewellery, show costumes, and dance dress, but most people do not know that their history goes back further than they realize. While these crystals appear to have no basis for one colour, when they are turned within light, they shine and shimmer with a myriad of colours. These stone were quite a marvel back in the 1950s.

In the early 1900s, Swarovski had perfected their crystal design. They utilized a mechanical process to cut and polish their crystal stones. These crystals mingled with Paris couture, with both worlds joining together for mutual collaborations.

1950s jewellery is distinctive for its beautiful rhinestone-encrusted necklaces, earrings, and pins. Christian Diordior-swarovski01 had created an entirely New Look for his designer line of clothing. It was elegant, feminine, and not as regimental as the designs of the war era. He consulted with Manfred Swarovski to find new crystals to complement his outfits. Together, they created special kinds of Aurora Borealis crystals and cut beads. Swarovski created a scientific process to make their crystal stones sparkle with iridescent rainbow colours. Dr. Hm. Schmied led the team. Together they created a blue metallic coating for optical lenses. Manfred realized the benefits of using this same metallic coating on his stones. Manfred did experiments to find the best method of application. He developed a technique to vaporize metal in a vacuum. This application coated the lower facets of each gem with a micro-thin coating of metal. This resulted in the dramatically bright and colourful flashes of colour within the crystals.

In the beginning, it was only the wealthy who could afford Swarovski Aurora Borealis jewellery, made from stones and beads. It eventually became licensed by Corocraft for their Vendome line, making it available to most middle class housewives of the 1950s.
Aurora Borealis is also known by the abbreviation AB. Many bead and crystal manufacturers have copied the process over the past few decades, but the quality never lasts as long, resulting in peeling crystals that soon lose their rainbow flash of colours, and other cheap plastic imitations. AB crystals only lost their lustre through time, but now, they’re making a comeback.
Over time, the Swarovski crystals have been proven to retain their shine, brilliance, and rainbow of colours, and antique AB crystal jewellery is highly desirable.

Swarovski Aurora Borealis crystals are a valuable component of costume design, whether it’s a beautiful gown, dress, body suit, or jewellery. Swarovski Aurora Borealis crystals are experiencing a resurgence in popularity, as our technological age can appreciate these beautiful crystals. Even today, Swarovski keeps their AB processes closely guarded, and requires the highest quality production of its crystal line.

Costume designers of today can appreciate the quality of Aurora Borealis crystals. They have not been successfully duplicated by any other crystal manufacturer. Just like Swarovski, when you wear a costume encrusted with Swarovski Aurora Borealis crystals, you’ll sparkle and outshine everyone else.
Check out the Swarovski Aurora Borealis crystals in our webshop: https://www.costume-design-plans.com/product-tag/aurora-boreale-swarovski-rhinestones/

Swarovski

Swarovski

What is Swarovski?

Swarovski is a premium brand of finest crystal since 1895. Swarovski works with top-class designers and brands in the fashion, jewelry, accessories, costume designers, interior designers and lighting industries all over the world. Swarovski produce crystals in millions of colors, shapes, sizes – with an innovative, lead-free technology called Advanced Crystal standard. Swarovski is a precise cut crystal, which gives the premium look of the diamond for acceptable price.

History of Swarovski

Daniel Swarovski, the founder
Daniel Swarovski

Daniel Swarovski, the founder

Daniel Swarovski established his company in 1895 with his vision: creating a “diamond” for every woman. That was the first step of creating a worldwide brand as well.

Daniel Swarovski (October 24, 1862 – January 23, 1956), formerly Daniel Swartz, was born in northern Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was a glass cutter who owned a small glass factory. It was there that the young Swarovski 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. Kosman, Daniel Swartz & Co., which was later shortened to K.S. & Co. The company established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens, Tyrol (Austria), to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes Daniel Swarovski patented.  (Wikipedia)

Swarovski products

Authorized Reseller of Swarovski Crystals

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More Products…

Swarovski has several types of products, not just in consumer goods, but in industry as well. However the most well-known products are in consumer goods segment – especially in fashion jewelry and glass sculpture (the miniatures).

The Swarovski miniatures, the small glass sculptures wear the Swarovski logo – which used to be the edelweiss previously, and since 1988 it is the swan logo.

The Swarovski jewelry is a wide range of accessories: medals, rings, earrings etc. The company works together with famous designers and issue limited series – like Jean Paul Gautier range nowadays.

The brillance of Swarovski

Victoria's Secret runnoway 2014
Victoria’s Secret runway 2014. Made with 150.000 crystals!

The reflection of the light makes the Swarovski products so glamorous and premium looking. The secret is twofolded: the precision cutting and the special coating. The precision cutting comes no only from the ancient glass industry, but was developed with the use of diamond cutting technology. The diamond cutting provide the fantastic brillance of rhinestones – in any circumstance of stage lighting. The special coating is adding another layer of premium quality looking to is:

To create crystal glass that lets light refract in a rainbow spectrum, Swarovski coats some of its products with special metallic chemical coatings. For example, Aurora Borealis, or “AB”, gives the surface a rainbow appearance. Other coatings are named by the company, including 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. (Wikipedia)

You can buy Swarovski AB crystals in our online shop!

In 2012 Swarovski launched the Xirius line – named after the brightest star in the galaxy – celebrating the birthday of the founder. Due to the precision cut and the new lead-free technology, combined with enchanced foiling, it was a huge step to provide “diamond” for everyone. Xirius is available in various colors, both in flat back non-hotfix and sewable variants – talking about costume decoration.

Swarovski company nowadays

Today, the company, still family-owned and run by 5th generation family members, has a global reach with some 25,000 employees, a presence in over 120 countries and a turnover in 2012 of 2.38 billion Euros.

Showing the creativity that lies at the heart of the company, Swarovski’s own brand lines of accessories, jewelry and home décor items are sold through more than 2,350 retail outlets worldwide. The Swarovski Crystal Society has close to 300,000 members across the world, keen collectors of the celebrated crystal figurines. And in Wattens, Swarovski Kristallwelten, the multi-media crystal museum, was opened in 1995 as a celebration of Swarovski’s universe of innovation and inspiration.

 

Shining and sparkling

Shining and sparkling

As they say, everybody starts her/his carreer at childhood. I believe it happened to me as well. My mother was a dressmaker, so it was obvious for me that my childhood play was dressmaking for my dolls. I loved shining, sparkling, elegant dresses, so I prepared “stage costumes” and wedding dresses for my dolls.

How does a brilliant costume or wedding dress look like?

It’s full of rhinestones and flitters, of course!

So I got known the dress decoration work very early.

After finishing my education as professional dressmaker, I started to work for theathers, and more and more individual actresses, dancers, singers, performers found me – apart from the wedding dress orders. So I had the opportunity to work with different types of decorations.

My many years’ experience tells me that if you need a quality, wearable costume, you have to insist on the best quality rhinestones.

And for the timebeing it is Swarovski.

You can expect the same shining and sparkling what you get from Swarovski jewellery, and it gives quality appearance on the stage. Look at this dress of Rihanna, and decide yourself:

Don’t forget: stage costume is an investment into your act the same way as you invest your time and efforts into it!

Find your plan on our website and enjoy the stage lights!

Erzsébet Tóth Bohács