When it comes to jewelry, you will be hard pressed to find any women who doesn’t own a collection or two. Among the popular collections women indulge in these days include Swarovski jewelry and if you had the opportunity to own exquisitely-crafted jewelry like these, wouldn’t you jump at the chance?
It is quite understandable why women all over the world don’t pass up the opportunity to buy Swarovski jewelry because for one, it rivals the diamond as far as shine and sparkle are concerned. They contain 32% lead which qualifies them as fully leaded and are expertly cut crystals painted with a special metallic coating that allows more light refraction, which is mainly the reason behind their famous sparkling quality.
It is because of this particular quality that Swarovski crystals are used on everything by designers of every kind, from haute couture to jewelry to even candle holders. Despite the fact that they can be quite a challenge to maintain and handle, it is still the crystal of choice for most people. These days, however, it is making its presence felt more in the realm of jewelries and accessories and is one of the fashion trends that don’t fade away no matter what the season.
It is perhaps good to note that Swarovski crystals are not your usual crystals. They are actually man-made gems created and manufactured in Austria in the 1800s, by a man named Daniel Swarovski who had discovered a way to make high-quality, lead glass crystals by using a special machine that allowed him to produce quality cuts. In 1895, he founded the Swarovski Company and initially made only home décor pieces until in 1957, Christian Dior helped him produce the now-famous Aurora Borealis color which became an instant hit in the fashion world.
In 1977, Swarovski came to the US and presented his first ever jewelry collection featuring the exquisite crystals and from then on, the fashion world was never the same again. The jewelry collection since then has evolved to include other fashion accessory staples like handbags, belts and watches for both men and women. It has also recently ventured into sculptural pieces that include the golden dragon (Jinlong), made from about 63,000 pieces of hand-laid crystals in 21 shades of gold, the elephant (Matang) that is made from smoky quartz, topaz and black diamond colored crystals and the horse(Amurath) that is made from metallic blue crystals. The set was completed with the creation of the falcon (Alsaqr Almalaki), which is considered officially sold out to date.
If you are one of the many fortunate owners of Swarovski jewelry, chances are you are trying your absolute best to maintain its quality and beauty but not many Swarovski jewelry owners know that taking care of their crystals and jewelry only requires very basic solutions to keep their sparkle and shine: baby wipes, rubbing alcohol and mild dish soap.
Those and the fact that you need to make sure you apply your hairsprays, lotions, creams and powders before you put on your jewelries as the oils that are generated by these products and even from our own skin can mar the brilliance of the crystals. The first step is rinsing your pieces in warm water, but make sure it’s not at boiling temperature as that can damage them.
The next step is to apply a small amount of dish soap to the surface of your jewelry. Commercial jewelry cleaners can contain ingredients that can be harsh on the crystal’s surface so refrain from using those. If you have the time, you can scour for specialty Swarovski cleaners in your area and take your jewels there for cleaning.
Brush the pieces gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush or a lint-free cloth then just as gently rinse them thoroughly. Make sure that the pieces are completely dry before storing them back in their cases. If your pieces happen to contain Swarovski pearls, do not clean them with water but just buff them with soft cloth.
And lastly, when storing your Swarovski jewelry, make sure you store them in their original packaging to keep them from getting scratched or nipped. Swarovski often offers a special cleaning kit complete with a soft brush, a polishing cloth and white gloves so that you won’t get fingerprints on the crystals.
