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Swarovski is the luxury brand name for the range of precision-cut lead crystal glass and related products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria.
 Daniel Swarovski (1862 - 1956) was born to a glass cutter in the Austrian monarchy. In 1892 he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of lead crystal glass. In 1895, Daniel Swarovski and others founded the Swarovski company. 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, jewelry and couture, home decor and chandeliers. The Swarovski company even runs a crystal-themed indoor theme park, Swarovski Kristallwelten (Crystal Worlds) at its original Wattens site (near Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria).
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 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.
 In 2004, Swarovski created the 9 foot diameter, 550 pound star that tops the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City for the first of five consecutive years. Swarovski was also a sponsor for the 2004 film, The Phantom of the Opera, in which the "standing model" of the chandelier was composed of Swarovski crystals. For the 75th anniversary of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Swarovski crystals decorated the costumes worn by the Rockettes during the finale number.
Available in a myriad of colors, effects, shapes and sizes, Swarovski crystals provide a fabulous palette of inspiration for designers in the worlds of fashion, jewelry, accessories and interior design.
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