In the past few years, Swarovski has done some online only jewelry exclusives just weeks prior to the Christmas holiday season. Yesterday, the crystal giant sent out emails about the Swarovski Rice Siam Set, stating that this is a limited edition jewelry set of just 500 pieces and available this weekend only.
Swarovski Limited Edition Rice Siam Set
The Swarovski Rice Siam Set consists of a necklace and matching pierced earrings. This limited edition is available online only December 2nd and 3rd at their web site shoppe. The retail price of the Rice Siam Set (identification # 1193976) is $125.
The Rice Siam Set is rhodium plated with a pave cross shape suspending a red siam crystal stone. It looks like a nice addition to any holiday outfit for the upcoming holiday parties!
Although I donât recall seeing any official news about Swarovskiâs weekend special in advance of yesterday, I believe they there were 3-4 of them in 2010 and 2011, so be sure to watch your email for more Swarovski Limited Edition opportunities in the upcoming weeks!
In July, there was a formal announcement about the 2012 Steiff Swarovski Cookie, which is a limited edition holiday teddy bear.
Limited Edition in 2012, Swarovski Steiff Bear Cookie
Swarovski Steiff Cookieis a limited edition bear, available only in the USA. This exclusive Steiff Cookie has a maximum production of 1500 units, that retail at $310 each.
Cookie the Holiday Bear sports a Swarovski Twinkling Gingerbread Man around her neck, so it seems probable that Swarovski collectors and Steiff collectors will show sufficient interest for this bear to be a sell-out, though I have no facts to support this thought.
The Steiff USA web site and stores in North America are accepting orders for this Swarovski teddy bear. Sunny-Bears.com is offering Steiff Cookie at a slightly lower price during the pre-order period.
Last year, Swarovski launched 2 Skull figurines as a part of the Soulmates group. They are unique, and the crystal fanatics that have talked to us, donât seem to want the Swarovski Skulls in their crystal cabinet.
After release of the Skull figurines, Swarovski began releasing menâs jewelry with the Skull motif: pendants, cufflinks, keyrings, and more. I found a total of 21 product offerings in the online Swarovski Shoppe when I queried âSkullâ.
Recently, I found another Skull item in their store with some integrated technology. And itâs an Online Limited Edition! As the title of our article reveals, it is an iPhone 4 and 4S Swarovski N the Skull Docking Station.
Hereâs a summary of the product taken directly from the Swarovski web site:
Limited to just 199 pieces, this unique fashion accessory makes a very special gift for modern men. Perfect for charging or transferring data to your phone, it comes with a USB cable and is compatible with the iPhone® 4 and 4S (iPhone® is a trademark of Apple Inc). The skull shines darkly in Jet Hematite crystal with a ruthenium finish metal face. It is engraved with the individual Limited Edition number.
Itâs a good thing that Swarovski didnât make too many of theseâ¦.when the iPhone 5 was released in September, Apple changed the charging port from a 30-pin adapter to a âlightningâ adapter. That means that the Swarovski iPhone Skull will not work with the newest iPhone 5 models.
If you have the older iPhone 4 or 4S and are considering the purchase of a Swarovski charging station, the Swarovski Skull charger will set you back a mere $1100. But act quickly as less than 200 N the Skull Docking Station, Swarovski Limited Online Edition are available at their web site!
I recently heard that Swarovski was changing the contents of the Silver Crystal formula to be âlead freeâ. So if it might become virtually lead free, does that mean that it contain(ed) lead?  Well, yes, it contained lead, more than 30%! If you look on some older labels of Swarovski figurines, it can be clearly seen â> 30% Pboâ.
Swarovski Label showing Lead Content
Hearing of a possible formula change, I sought the crystal giant for official answers about a lead free Swarovski crystal, and here is the information receivedâ¦.
We are pleased to confirm that Swarovski has developed a new formula for crystals, which we call âAdvanced Crystalââ¢. These cryse crystals continue to have the radiance, joy and sparkling abundance that Swarovski is famous for throughout the World. They are made using the same high quality standards that we always use.
Whilst the precise details of the change are proprietary, we are pleased to confirm that this is a natural development for Swarovski. It continues our long term commitment to innovation, to the environment and to developing sustainable products.
Advanced crystals can be used and adapted for use in exactly the same way as any of the crystals that we have previously produced. We believe that this is an exciting development for Swarovski and reinforces our reputation as the market leader for product innovation, product development and for manufacturing the highest quality crystals. This also applies to all figurine products, such as Silver Crystal.
Far-reaching developments are afoot at Swarovski, with the announcement of a dramatic change to the DNA of its crystal. By September 2012, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS will have its entire assortment switched to the new ADVANCED CRYSTAL standard a patented, lead-free** formula that is much more than merely compliant with the strictest laws on the planet. Hassle-free, rigorously tested and completely reliable, it is quite simply the most advanced crystal composition on the market today, providing perfect peace of mind.
* Crystal glass and all other materials containing 0.009% lead or less.
Please note that for our figurines you will still find both variations in the markets and that our new innovative crystal recipe results in a lighter weight, there is however no optical or visual difference
Please note, that the brilliance, the light dispersion etc. are not solely defined through the crystal composition but also determined by precision cutting, polishing and purity of raw materials all areas in which Swarovski takes a leading position in the industry.
I found out that the recipe change applies to both clear and colored components used in assembling figurines.
Since the modification took place this year (2012), that means that old-stock figurines may be purchased with the original leaded content, and that new nearly lead-free identical figurines can be purchased. The only difference is that the âAdvanced Crystalâ figurines may weigh slightly less. The famous Frauenhofer institute in Germany tested and confirmed that old recipe figurines and âAdvanced Crystalâ figurines have the same visual and optical resemblance.
It would be interesting to set two identical Swarovski crystal figurines, one with leaded content and one with nearly lead free content, side by side to see if any of us thought we could tell any differences!
