THE MAGIC OF SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL.

When I design and make jewelry for my company House Of Joris Jewelry, I use many different supplies available. My favorite are vintage supplies, they seem to be much more durable then modern supplies. Also, vintage supplies and jewelry are just gorgeous. And there is one staple supply I always go to and always will, and that is the crystal jewels, beads, drops, crystal pearls and whatever else I can find, vintage or new, made by Swarovski.

Pink Cockatoos, Swarovski crystal figurine.

I use some Swarovski jewels that were made in the 1920's. There is no scratch, no scrap off the jewel and it sparkles like it was just made yesterday. This is no lie, Swarovski's secret ways of cutting crystal glass is the best around and can't be imitated. The crystal pearls are beautiful too. And there are ways to see whether you are dealing with the real thing or an imitation. 

The Swarovski Company is huge these days, famous allover the world, but it started from very humble beginnings.

Daniel Swarovski (24 October 1862 – 23 January 1956) was a Czech-born Austrian. He was born in Georgenthal bei Gablonz. His father, Franz Anton Swarovski, was a glass cutter and Swarovski first learned the art in his father's small factory. Later he was educated in Paris and Vienna, where he met Frantisek Krizik, and became interested in electricity at the 1883 Electricity Exhibition in Vienna.

Daniel Swarovski.

In 1887, Daniel Swarovski married Marie Weis, the sister of his business partner Franz Weis, and they had three sons: Fritz, Alfred and Wilhelm.

In 1892, he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of lead crystal glass jewelry, which until then had to be cut by hand. 
In 1895, he immigrated to Austria and partnered with Armand Kosman and Franz Weis to form "A. Kosmann, D. Swarovski & Co." They built a crystal-cutting factory in Wattens, Tyrol, to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes.

Daniel's vision was to use crystal to create "a diamond for everyone", and his pioneering spirit brought his beautifully cut crystal to Hollywood in the 1950's. His spirit and innovations help the Swarovski Company continue their mission today.

She may have sung 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend', but those show-stopping jewels worn by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film's iconic cabaret scene are none other than Swarovski crystals. 
Swarovski crystals also adorn many of the other opulent costumes and jewelry for Marilyn's character, Lorelei. In one of her most iconic moments, 
Marilyn Monroe serenades President JFK with a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" at Madison Square Garden, wearing a Jean Louis-designed sheer,
flesh-colored dress that she was literally sewn into.

                        

                    

In 1956, Manfred, son of founder Daniel Swarovski, began working with Christian Dior on a new crystal that encapsulated Dior's creative vision. Aurora Borealis (AB) became its name, and the rest was history. He came up with a micro-thin layer of vaporized blue metal, with which he coated crystals' lower facets. This coating of the crystals was so popular, there are still many jewelry sets from the 1950's around and almost all of them are Aurora Borealis crystals. Light blue crystal with the AB coating was especially popular. It was named Ice Blue.

The Swarovski Company is headquartered in Wattens, Austria. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal Business, that primarily  produces crystal jewelry and accessories; Swarovski Optik, which produces optical instruments such as telescopes, telescopic sights for rifles, and binoculars; and Tyrolit, a manufacturer of grinding, sawing, drilling, and dressing tools, as well as a supplier of tools and machines.

Sara Necklace, © House Of Joris Jewelry. Made with Swarovski AB crystals (bicones, round beads and a baroque pendant), Swarovski pearls, brass chain and a freshwater flat bronze pearl set in a brass vintage stamping.

Today, Swarovski Crystal Business is the highest grossing business unit with a global reach of approximately 2,800 stores in around 176 countries, more than 27,000 employees and a revenue of about 2.6 billion Euros.

WHY DOES CERTAIN JEWELRY STAIN OUR SKIN, HOW TO CLEAN AND TO PREVENT IT.

I am sure we have all dealt with it, one time or another. You have a favorite new bracelet but the day you wear it, you end up with a large green circle on your wrist. Or a reddish, itchy stain from a ring on your finger, a black or brown circle around your neck from that choker you wanted so badly.

Even though these stains look badly on your skin, the good news is that the stains are not permanent or harmful for your health, although an itchy reaction can be very unpleasant. The easiest way to get rid of these stains is with a warm, wet washcloth and mild soap. Gently rub your skin, it should come off pretty easy. 

Silver Tuesday Bracelet, ©House Of Joris Jewelry

Why does certain jewelry stain the skin? Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion that forms over copper, nickel, aluminum and magnesium. If you are especially allergic to nickel, you will see a discoloration on your skin that is usually a red itchy hue, as it is due to inflammation. Even brass and silver can color the skin through oxidation, although it is usually not as severe.

Jewelry that is plated is common to tarnish the skin, especially cheap plated jewelry that has a very thin layer of silver or gold over the base metal. These plated metals can rub off quickly, even wearing it for one hot day in the summer. In my experience, if you work with plated metal, make sure the base is brass (certainly not copper) and the layer of silver or gold is nice and thick, made in America can make a big difference too. Metal that is dipped in silver or gold is much more solid, then a thin sprayed layer. 

So how do you prevent getting stains from jewelry. The best answer is buying more high-end jewelry, silver, gold (yellow, white or rose) and the prestigious platinum . For gold you can use gold-filled jewelry, this is jewelry plated with a 20% gold layer on the outside of the alloy. This jewelry can last up to 30 or 40 years before you will see places where the gold has rubbed off. If you have sensitive skin, you might have better luck with rhodium plated and stainless steel jewelry. Rhodium is an expensive metal, used a lot in space crafts. It looks more like white gold or platinum. Some jewelers use rhodium to plate their silver jewelry to prevent tarnish. 

Silver Monaco Earrings, ©House Of Joris Jewelry

If you have plated jewelry that you really love, you can always use clear nail polish or a clear acrylic spray to coat it. Also, make sure you take it off when you are putting on make-up, or wait until your skin has absorbed the lotion you used. Don't shower with it (although I will wear silver jewelry that is plated with rhodium in the shower. It makes it shine and sparkle) and take it off at night or when you come home.