During Swarovski’s 120-year history, Swarovski crystals have become essential elements in the work of great fashion designers, from Charles Frederick Worth, Chanel, and Balenciaga to Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, and Prada. They have shimmered in classic movies like The Wizard of Oz, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and sparkled on the curtains of the Academy Awards ceremony and the chandeliers of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House and the Palace of Versailles. Even the tiniest Swarovski crystal combines the beguiling qualities of science and nature. Finding ever more ingenious ways of enhancing those qualities has always been important to the five generations of Swarovskis that have owned and run the company since 1895, sparking a remarkable series of collaborations with the most inspiring creative minds of different eras. The company has also applied its historic expertise in cutting and polishing crystals to other created stones and genuine gemstones, while continuing to make technological breakthroughs with crystal transfers in the 1970s and crystal mesh in the 1990s. In this year of notable landmarks for Swarovski, they celebrate not just the 120th anniversary of the founding of the company itself, but also the 20th anniversary of the inauguration of Swarovski Kristallwelten (Swarovski Crystal Worlds), with the grand re-opening on April 30, 2015. It has been two decades since Swarovski Crystal Worlds first opened its doors in 1995. Over 600 000 visitors a year have made the journey to Wattens to enjoy first-hand this extraordinary destination, making Swarovski Crystal Worlds one of the most visited sights in Austria. Now in 2015, after a major expansion, Swarovski Crystal Worlds is entering a new era of wonder: the five Chambers of Wonder have been completely redesigned, more than doubling the existing size of the site, while the gardens have been remodelled. For this project, a team of experts has worked alongside a host of internationally renowned creative talents.
