Austria is the World capital of crystal making.  Crystal made in Austria is Austrian Crystal.  Swarovski is the leading manufacturer and distributor of Austrian Crystal, supplying many jewellery designers and companies with loose Swarovski crystals to use in their pieces.  The beauty and sparkle of Swarovski crystal are unmatched!  Most of our crystal jewellery uses genuine Swarovski Austrian Crystal.

Where did Austrian Crystal originate?  Is it the same thing as Rhinestones?

 Austrian crystal is considered rhinestone jewellery. The original rhinestones were pebbles of rock crystal from the Rhine River (Austria's western boundary), hence the name rhinestone.  These pebbles had a beautiful sparkle and were used as adornments.

 In 1775 a French jeweller named George Frederic Strass began to coat the lower side of the glass with metal powder.  The resulting sparkle closely imitated diamonds.  These "gems" were not very affordable because each stone was handcrafted.

 In 1892 Daniel Swarovski, son of a Bohemian gem cutter, applied for a patent that would change the world's impression of crystal jewellery forever!  The patent on his first invention, the machine that cut crystal jewellery stones with wonderful precision, would make the crystal more affordable.

In 1895 Swarovski moved to Austria, where his invention could be powered by water.  He set up a factory specializing in the production of cut crystal jewellery stones. His success in producing rhinestones economically without compromising the quality of the cut was achieved.  This meant widespread acceptance in the jewellery industry.

In 1911 Daniel Swarovski and his three sons refined their methods to produce stones to a state of flawless brilliance. In 1917 the company succeeded in producing grinding wheels for cutting crystal stones to increase production capacity.

One of the most highly collectable rhinestones was introduced in 1955-- the Aurora Borealis.  This was a coating applied to crystal stones to produce a rainbow of colours. Jewellery featuring Aurora Borealis rhinestones is highly valued as a collectable!

In 1956 Daniel Swarovski passed away.  He was the age of 94.  His company was of Austria's largest companies and the world's largest producer of rhinestones.

Crystal rhinestone items are still highly collectable today!  They are used in jewellery, costumes, apparel and other accessories.  Most of the crystal jewellery is produced in Austria and the Czech Republic.