Nov 302011
 

I recently noted a number Swarovski stores running  a promotion for Swarovski Photo Ornament Clips.  While it appears they may be Swarovski boutiques, the promotion may be available at authorized Swarovski Crystal retailers too (?).

Swarovski Crystallized Photo Ornament ClipsThe promotion began November 28 and goes until December 4, 2011 or while supplies last.  The promotion is for a set of crystallized photo clips.  The Swarovski Photo Clips are a free gift with a qualifying purchase of $150 or more.

In the Swarovski Crystalllized Photo Ornament Clip set, there are three clips.  The first clip is silver / gray  and reads “A Moment to Love” with a crystallized swirl below the saying.  The second clip is red  and reads “A Moment to Cherish” with a crystallized swirl below the saying.   The third clip is red  and reads “A Moment to Remember” with a crystallized swirl below the saying.    The three crystallized photo clip ornaments are packaged together in a single box, captioned with “Moments to Give”.

Below is a brief list of possible Swarovski locations that may have the crystallized photo clips:

The photo clips sound interesting….it appears that these Swarovoski Ornaments can be hung in a window by a hook or on a Christmas tree.  They would certainly make cute personal gifts from kids to grandparents using school pictures or “a special moment with grandparents and grandkids”.

Happy Holidays from the Kristall Buzz!



Nov 302011
 

I found that there are many Swarovski stores having a promotion on Swarovski crystallized wine sleeves.  I am not sure if this includes authorized retailers or if it is strictly boutiques.

Swarovski Wine Sleeves with Crystallized Stars available Dec 5 - 11

Swarovski Crystallized Wine Sleeves

What I have learned is that the promotion runs December 5 through December 11, 2011.  The set of 3 crystallized wine sleeves will cost $15.  The Swarovski wine sleeves are an OPTION to purchase when a customer makes a qualifying purchase of $150 or more.

In the Swarovski Crystalllized Wine Sleeve set, there are three sleeves.  Two of the sleeves are red, and the third sleeve is gray (or perhaps white?).  All three sleeves are decorated with a crystallized star on the front and close with a deluxe rope.

Quickly, here are a few Swarovski locations running this promotion:

The Swarovski Crystal Wine Sleeves would make a terrific accessory with someone’s  favorite bottle of wine as a gift this Christmas.

If you are looking to make the occasion even MORE sparkly, you can add a set of Swarovski Crystalline Red Wine Glasses or Swarovski Crystalline White Wine Glasses .

Swarovski has also produced some other cocktail glasses:

Cheers to a safe, happy, and sparkly upcoming holiday season!



Nov 282011
 

Swarovski is introducing some new techniques they call innovative “Crystal Pixel” technology.  So you may be wondering where to find this new methodology for creating fabulous collectibles?  Actually, the Crystal Pixel technology can be found on the newest Swarovski Ornaments!

The newest ornaments that our favorite crystal brand has released are Swarovski Ornaments that are sold as a set of 3 (3 silver stars or 3 gold snowflakes).  Heinz Tabertshofer is the Swarovski Designer credited with these 2 new ornament creations.  The claim to fame on the Crystal Pixel technology is that with the unique placement of the tiny chatons on both sides of the metal , light can now pass through allowing spectacular lighting effects.

Swarovski Snowflake using Crystal Pixel Technology

Swarovski Crystal Pixel Snowflakes

Swarovski Pixel Snowflake Ornament Set  – Swarovski system # 1135179 and Swarovski part number 9400 000 366. The ornament set of snowflakes is silver in color and features crystal moonlight chatons.  The Swarovski Snowflake Ornament hangs from a white satin ribbon.

Swarovski Star using Crystal Pixel Technology

Swarovski Crystal Pixel Stars

Swarovski Pixel Star Ornament Set – Swarovski system #1135182 and Swarovski part number 9400 000 367. The ornament set of stars is gold in color and features crystal moonlight chatons.  The Swarovski Star Ornament hangs from a gold satin ribbon.

Naturally, the Swarovski Pixel Snowflake Ornament Set and Swarovski Pixel Star Ornament Set are both at the Swarovski shoppe online.  Each set of 3 ornaments retails for $75.

These new ornaments sound quite interesting.  As they are not solid crystal, like the annual edition ornaments, I’d be far more likely to try hanging these on my Christmas tree!  I wonder where Swarovski will implement their new “Crystal Pixel” technology next?  (Hearts for Valentines Day?)



Nov 262011
 

Yesterday, Swarovski posted their first weekend (of 3 weekends) special, which is promoted as a limited edition jewelry set.  Per Swarovski’s announcement, there are 500 sets available through Sunday evening or until they are sold out.

Swarovski Limited Edition Eros Red Heart Pendant and Earrings

Swarovski Limited Edition Eros Set

This limited edition is the Swarovski Eros Set.  This jewelry set is a red pave heart on a silver-colored chain complimented with a pair of matching pierced earrings, identified as Swarovski # 1028256.  The price is $160 for this Swarovski limited edition set.

Swarovski has been issuing email vouchers.  I don’t know if this limited edition jewelry is excluded from the discounts that can be obtained using the vouchers, or if it is exempt from them.

If you like the pendant, but don’t have pierced ears, you may be happy to know that the Swarovski Eros Pendant can be purchased separately.  The crystal giant also offers the Swarovski Eros Charm which can be attached to a bracelet or chain.

Hoping that all Swarovski crystal collectors had a Happy Thanksgiving!



Nov 222011
 

On November 16, the 2011 Star for the Rockefeller Tree was revealed by actress Olivia Wilde.  This is the eighth year that Swarovski has held the honor of designing the Star to be placed on the Rockefeller Tree.  I found a video on Bing where the Today show hosts interview the actress about the Swarovski Star:  Bing Rockefeller Star Video.

Swarovski 2011 Rockefeller Star

2011 Swarovski Rockefeller Star

The 2011 Swarovski Star has 12 rays outfitted with 720 LED bulbs.  It is over 9 feet in diameter and 18 inches deep.  And the weight….I don’t know how they keep in on the tree….550 pounds, which includes 300 pounds of crystal!  The Swarovski Rockefeller Star uses a computer program plus and 25,000 crystals (over 1,000,000 facets) creates an amazing sparkling light show to captivate the Christmas audience.

The effort behind this glittery giant star is equally impressive.  Nine people spent 1200 man-hours, setting up, analyzing, and assessing the star to make certain it would perform in all variations of New York City’s winter climate.

The Swarovski Star Ornament is now on the Norway Spruce, which stands 74 feet tall, where it will remain through the end of the 2011 holiday season.  Visitors can see the lit tree through January 7, 2012 5:30am – 11:30am.  There are special hours on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

The Rockefeller Tree Lighting ceremony will be Wednesday, November 30, 2011.  The event will be broadcast on the NBC network 8:00 – 9:00 EST.  Swarovski crystal fanatics should program their DVR for this event!



Nov 222011
 

This year, for the first time probably ever, I’ve decided to try and get a head start on my Christmas shopping.  And for once, I actually have some good ideas for my kids and family.  Now, the challenge will be to stay within the budget.

Today, I got an email from Swarovski about an online Christmas voucher good on crystal purchased in the online store!  Yeah, save money!

The 2011 voucher is for 10% off (probably a single Swarovski crystal figurine or jewelry item), with a minimum purchase of $160.  The voucher is not valid on Swarovski SCS products, binoculars, or the Crystal Myriad sculptures.  There are also limitations on which countries can use the Swarovski discount voucher, but it is valid for USA residents.  While it appears to be active now, the email does not specify an expiration date…only that it is valid for a ‘short period of time’.  (Tell me why the expiration date should be kept secret???)

I recalled receiving the voucher in 2010, so I checked the Kristall Buzz archives to see what offer they gave us last year.  So, in 2011, we have a 10% voucher as of November 22.  In 2010, Swarovski provided a cyber-Monday voucher for a $20 credit valid on cyber-Monday only.  Swarovski also provided a 20% voucher as of December 7, 2010.  So, I’m wondering if Swarovski is giving us a smaller voucher earlier, or if perhaps more and larger vouchers are yet to come?

Crystal Exchange America will also be offering holiday shopping discounts very soon. Be sure and follow Crystal Exchange on Twitter for extra Swarovski News and receive discount Swarovski coupon codes

Swarovski Crystal Fanatics should definitely check their email for the voucher code before heading off to do shopping in the online Swarovski shoppe!



Nov 212011
 

The Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree was unveiled in Toronto Canada on November 17th.  Looks like a gorgeous tree with a terrific cause:

Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree in Toronto Canada

Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree

I found this slide show of the Christmas tree. Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree Slide Show.

Can you really imagine 44,000 Swarovski Ornaments on a Christmas Tree?  WOW!  I’m sure that Swarovski will be decorating lots more trees, so look for more Swarovski Ornaments on trees at the Kristall Buzz!



Nov 172011
 

Our favorite crystal brand has produced some Swarovski Pill Box figurines in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.  The Swarovski pillbox is something that has been rarely seen in the 15 years that Crystal Exchange America has been in business.

The popular Swarovski book, Warner’s Blue Ribbon Book on Swarovski Crystal, indicates that Swarovski pillboxes have been produced in various sizes.  They document the Swarovski pill box in both a 30mm (1 3/16”) and 50mm (2”) diameter size.  They also document the Swarovski pillbox with a gold-colored finish and a silver-colored finish.  And lastly, they document the crystal pill boxes to be with separate tops and bottoms or that the lid and base are hinged together (like some of the coin boxes).

The Warner’s books show Swarovski-assigned part number of 7506MR030 for the 30mm pill box and 7506NR050 for the 50mm pill box.  They assign a Swarovski ERV of $525 for the small pill box and $650 for the larger pill box.

It is believed that the pillboxes were produced with numerous different city names as souvenir gifts for vacationers.

With this brief overview of the Swarovski pillbox, we can share that we do have a pillbox in on consignment that is available for bidding on eBay.

Swarovski Crystal Pillbox

Swarovski Pill box

This pill box is in a rust-colored ‘Swarovski Souvenir’ box, with grey foam support and cream-colored lid ends.   The pill box itself is 30mm in size and is highlighted with a silver-colored finish.  It is a hinged pillbox.  This pillbox has a painted decoration in the lid of the pillbox, along with the word “Innsbruck”.  This pillbox does not have any type of Swarovski logo on it.  The sticker attached to the box says “PILLEND 030 IBK”.  The auction # for the for the Swarovski Crystal Pill Box is 140643986108.

It will be interesting to see what kind of interest there is from Swarovski collectors on this unique crystal item. Best of luck bidding if this is a Swarovski collectible you have been seeking for your crystal collection!



Nov 172011
 

Swarovski CrystalograMs are some of the more unusual items produced and sold by the crystal giant.  Essentially, they are a work of art extending across a canvas medium that extend onto the frame, and accented by Swarovski crystal stones. A more extensive article on the Swarovski CrystalograMs can be found on the Kristall Buzz.

While there is not much information on the internet or in books about the limited edition Swarovski CrystalograM pictures or the artist who created them, there is official Swarovski literature presently on eBay about the collection also known as “The Five by Weidinger”.

This literature is likely something used by a salesperson advertising the Swarovski CrystalograMs.  The literature is nice, and in decent condition.

Swarovski Literature for the CrystalograM Collection by Hubert Weidinger

In addition to the brochure for “CrystalograM Miniatures”, there are separate pages with fairly large photos attached for each of the five CrystalograMs produced by Swarovski included in the folder: Air CrystalograM, Earth CrystalograM, Fire CrystalograM, Nature CrystalograM, and Water CrystalograM.

The auction for the literature has a low starting bid and includes free shipping via US Mail.  Any Swarovski crystal fanatics that may be interested in this sort of thing should check out the auction for the Swarovski CrystalograM Literature on eBay, item #140643320983.  The auction closes in the evening of November 21, so don’t delay!



Nov 162011
 

Yesterday, I received my Swarovski news email, which was mostly about jewelry products that might make good Christmas gifts.  Also, in the email, was an announcement that they are doing the ‘limited edition’ weekend specials like they did in 2010. Additional information about the 2010 event can be found in the Kristall Buzz article: Exclusive Limited Edition Swarovski Jewelry at Swarovski’s Online Event.

Swarovski Limited Edition Jewelry 2011

Swarovski Limited Edition Jewelry 2011

In 2011, starting on Friday November 25, the crystal brand will offer a Swarovski limited edition jewelry item (they say limited to 500 units) that will be available through the weekend or until sold out.  The crystal brand has 3 different jewelry designs that are each offered weekend only.  The second weekend event will begin December 2 and the final weekend event will begin December 9.

From the Swarovski crystal image, it appears that one item is a dark blue pendant.  Another item may be a red pave heart necklace with earrings.  And a final item may be a clear pave star with earrings.  There is no mention of price or in what order the jewelry items may be presented.

This is an online event, and the limited edition offerings cannot be purchased anywhere other than the Swarovski online shoppe.

If you are signed up for the Swarovski email newsletter, you should be notified when the specials begin each weekend.

Crystal Exchange America will run some specials leading into the holidays, so be sure and watch the Kristall Buzz for announcements or follow Crystal Exchange on Twitter for extra Swarovski News!



Nov 152011
 

On November 17, 2011 Swarovski will light up the Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree at the Toronto Eaton Center  (Toronto, Canada).   Swarovski has collaborated with the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada since 2005 supporting the organization and contributing generously to help the foundation grant wishes to children and their families across Canada.

Swarovski Festive Tree Ornament

Swarovski Festive Tree Ornament

Swarovski 2011 Childrens Wish Ornament

Swarovski 2011 Childrens Wish Ornament

This year’s limited edition Swarovski ornament resembles the Swarovski Festive Tree Ornament .  For clarity sake, I’m going to describe the Festive Tree Ornament first.  The Swarovski Festive Tree Ornament is green (peridot moonlight), decorated with red and yellow ornaments.  It is about 1.75” tall and retails for $40 in the online shoppe.  The Swarovski  2011 Make a Wish Ornament is tree-shaped, but is clear in color with no colored ornaments.  It has a special inscription with the year 2011 underneath.  While I have not heard the 2011 maximum quantity of production, in years past, 1100 to 1200 of the Swarovski Wish Ornaments have been produced.

The Kristall Buzz has pictures of some of the past limited edition Wish Ornaments in the article entitled Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree Ornament available in Canada.  There were 1200 limited edition ornaments produced in 2010, which resembled Samantha the Snowflake.  There were 1100 limited edition ornaments produced in 2009, which resembled the Swarovski Little Snowflake Ornament (retired in 2008).  There were 1200 limited edition ornaments produced in 2007, which resembled the Swarovski Twinkling Stars Ornament (retired in 2007).

Honored wishes and additional information can be found at the organization’s web site: Children’s Wish Foundation.

I’ll post more details about the Toronto Eaton Center Tree lighting and Children’s Wish Ornament following the event in a couple of days.  I’m looking forward to seeing the Swarovski Limited Edition Ornament soon!



Nov 132011
 

Some of our crystal fanatics clients recently attended the Swarovski Signing Event at Sofitel in October, 2011.  They were kind enough to provide us with the Swarovski Event Summary to share with other Swarovski collectors.

Swarovski 2011 Event Paperweight

We have since received more emails and images about the wonderful signing event and fantastic stories from those fortunate enough to attend the event.

At the recent signing in Los Angeles, California held at the The Sofitel Hotel on Beverly Boulevard, Swarovski held true to their tradition of gifting a special Swarovski paperweight each registered SCS member attendee.

The 2011 Swarovski Signing Event paperweight is 40mm in diameter.  It is Crystal CAL in color and bears (pardon the pun) the design of Swarovski Siku the Polar Bear.  Look at the Swarovski Polar Bear Key Ring – the Hong Kong Gift with Purchase promotion – and you will see the same design.  The Swarovski-assigned identification # is 1153341 to the 2011 event paperweight.

I know that the event was not cheap to attend….air fare, hotel stays, meals, event fees, etc.  However, now, it is starting to sound like attendees were showered with beverages, Swarovski crystal gifts, and quality entertainment….the Hollywood atmosphere was created by the Hollywood look-alikes included not only Lucille Ball, but also Whoopi Goldberg, Jack Nickolson, Johnny Depp, and others provided by the Sennet Entertainment group.  It seems like the WOW-factor was there and that Swarovski SCS members definitely got their $$’s worth!



Nov 112011
 

Our favorite brand Swarovski is seems committed to getting our attention on our iPhones (including iPod and iPad) and Android Phones.  This is the 2nd App in 2 months that Swarovski has launched to keep us playing their crystal games.

Swarovski Christmas App

Swarovski Christmas App

Swarovski iPhone App

Swarovski iPhone App - Drag the Gifts to the Recipient

 

 

The newest app is the Swarovski Christmas Around the World App.  Since it was free in the App store, I decided to ask my daughter to take it for a test-drive.  She says the instructions were simple, and the concept is easy to catch on to.  Of course, the longer you play, and the higher the score, the more difficult the tasks.

 

 

 

 

 

The Swarovski Christmas App  for smartphones has a total of 6 color-coded characters, but at the easy levels begins with 2 people to receive gifts.  The idea is to give the Swarovski crystal gift to the correct recipient (because recipients and bubbles are color-coded) before the gifts disappear.  But there are NON-Swarovski gifts that should NOT be given to the characters, so you have to pay close attention to the gift in the bubbles. As various levels are completed the number of recipients increases and the speeds that the bubbles appear / disappear change, making the levels more difficult.  Adding even more complexity, later in the game, some of the bubbles are gray, meaning you have to figure out the correct recipient for the gift during the play.

Swarovski App : Berlin and London

Swarovski App : Berlin and London

The Swarovski Christmas App features Christmas trees in a number of cities:  Innsbruck, London, Berlin, Zurich, and Madrid.  It appears that points must be used to purchase flights to other cities, but my daughter did not expand on how that worked.  She stated that high scores can be included for world-wide display, and that this does enter you into drawings for Swarovski prizes.  Whew hew!  More Swarovski crystal!

In the game, it is possible to view more information about the Swarovski crystal gifts in the bubbles, and add them to a personal wish list, which can then be emailed to your friends and family.  We tried this…but the links to the Swarovski crystal  wishlist products in the recipient’s email did not seem to work on our attempts, so  I’m not sure that this feature would be all that useful.

Summary, the game is fun!  Great job to Swarovski and the app developers!  Also, check out the Swarovski Refract App that launched near October 9, 2011.  Can’t wait to see future FREE Swarovski Apps!



Nov 092011
 

I have recently learned about an exclusive Swarovski Polar Bear Key Ring produced by our favorite crystal brand.

Swarovski Polar Bear Key Ring

Swarovski Polar Bear Key Ring

This key ring is like other key rings in that it is 20mm in diameter, features the usual silver chain and closing clasp for your keys.  Its packaging is a black velvet-like bag.

However, this polar bear key ring was produced to coincide with the production of the Swarovski SCS Siku Polar Bear, the 2011 SCS Swarovski AE.

I do not think that we’ll be seeing many of them.  Our reliable sources indicate that the Swarovski Polar Bear key ring was available only in Hong Kong.  It was a “Gift with Purchase” at a Private Shopping Night.  The Swarovski assigned identification number is 1145200.

Just as a reminder, the Swarovski Polar Bear Siku is only available to Swarovski SCS members through the end of 2011.  And the availability is the same for the Swarovski SCS Polar Bear Cubs, Crystal Moonlight and Swarovski SCS Polar Bear Cubs, White Opal – done at the end of 2011.

If you are planning to collect your Swarovski SCS Loyalty Gift, in 2013 be sure and make your purchase online at the Swarovski shoppe or from an authorized Swarovski agent and confirm that they have used YOUR SCS # for the Swarovski Annual Edition redemption.



Nov 082011
 

The Crystal Myriad line produced by Swarovski is a very elite group of sculptures.  The Crystal Myriad Dragon Longwang is no exception.

Swarovski Longwang, Crystal Myriad Dragon

Swarovski Longwang, Crystal Myriad Dragon

The Swarovski Longwang is now shown on the crystal brand’s web site, as the actual launch must be very soon.  The company displayed the Swarovski Longwang at the SCS event in California just last week, and in a Swarovski event summary posted to the Kristall Buzz a few days ago, there were actual photos of the sculpture!

Swarovski’s description of the Crystal Myriad Longwang states that “Longwang” means “King of the Dragons”.  This crystal myriad is certainly king!  Longwang is a Swarovski NLE Dragon of 888 units (The number 8 is considered very lucky, so it is likely that this had something to do with the max production.)  Longwang contains over 66,0000 hand-set crystals using the Pointiage technique.  The polished crystal base of Longwang dragon represents the sea, the dragon’s natural habitat.

The Swarovski system # for Longwang is 1096974.  The Swarovski designer is Heinz Tabertshofer.  This dragon masterpiece is about 11.5” wide and 14” tall.  Swarovski indicates that the production time for the Crystal Myriad Longwang is nearly 500 hours!

On the crystal giant’s web site,  the Swarovski Longwang can be found in a video that shows the Crystal Myriad revolving, zooming in on the meticulous craftsmanship of the figurine.

Our local retailer stated that pre-payment is required and that the delivery date may be 8 to 12 months away.  They originally indicated a price of $26,000, but the Swarovski site shows it at $20,000, so this might be pleasant news for Swarovski crystal fanatics who are considering to purchase it.  For me, not a chance….anything over $17,000 must be drivable or inhabitable!