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Swarovski Magnets without Swarovski Logos

Nov 012011

Yesterday, I wrote about the many Swarovski magnets in the Swarovski Crystal Moments product line. However, what I did not mention in the article is that there are also magnets that were not in the Crystal Moments product line.

Swarovski Crystal Magnets

These âotherâ crystal magnets do NOT have a traditional Swarovski logo on them. Some examples of these Swarovski magnets include:

Swarovski Crystal Ghost Magnets

Cat and Bat Magnet set – 1295606
Hearts Magnet set – 1295636
Seahorse and Octopus Magnet set – 1295599
Ghost Magnet â BSC2009003

These Crystal Magnets without the Swarovski logo are sold in boxes that do say Swarovski on the white packaging.Â However, these magnets do not have any little decorations or accents like the ones in the Crystal Moments product line.Â For comparison sake, look at Glenn the Ghost and the (plain, unmarked) Ghost Magnetâ¦there are no eyes.Â And the backside of the magnets appears to be of lower quality than Swarovski magnets with logos.Â A picture of cat and bat magnets with eyes can be seen in the Happy Halloween to Swarovski Crystal Fanatics article here on the Kristall Buzz.

I have not seen these plain, unmarked magnets in Swarovski crystal boutiques or stores, but only at popular online auction sites.

While I am certain that these plain, unmarked magnets are authentic Swarovski, this is definitely something to pay attention to when you are bidding on / buying Swarovski magnets.

At Crystal Exchange America, we do not see much activity on the Swarovski Magnets.Â However, when we do have them available, they can be found by using the search feature keyword âmagnetâ.Â The listing details will indicate if Swarovski logos are present on the magnet figurines.

Checkmate: The Swarovski Chess Set

Oct 072011

As a professional Swarovski broker, I have seen alot of crystal in the past 15 years. Some of the more unique items that listed and sold are the Swarovski Chess Sets.

Swarovski Wooden Chess set (left) and Swarovski Glass Chess set (right)

Swarovski produced two different chess sets, both recognized under the same part number: 7550NR432032. The original set was the Swarovski Wooden Chess Set, which was introduced in 1984 and retired in 1986. This Chess board is characterized by the fawn and chocolate brown leather/suede squares on the playing board surrounded by the wood frame. The Swarovski Wooden Chess set allowed convenient storage of the actual chess pieces inside the board and included a key to secure them from accidentally falling out of the case. The Wooden Chess set was available in the USA and Canada only.

The other chess set is the Swarovski Glass Chess Set. The Glass Chess set was introduced in 1984 and it retired in 2007. The glass board is a mirror with a frosted border and frosted squares to create the contrast for the playing board. We have seen cases that allow the board and chess figurines to be stored in a single case. Additionally, we have seen cases where the board and playing figurines are stored separately. These storage units also displayed the Swarovski logo on the outside of the simulated leather case or soft velvet-like case(s).

Swarovski Chess Packaging

A lesser known fact about the Swarovski Chess sets is that at some point in time, it was possible to purchase the Chess Men, Gray (simulated) Leather Carrying Case, and the Glass Chess Board separately. This would have been convenient for collectors who may have lost or damaged chess pieces to replace them at a much lower cost than purchasing a complete replacement set. For the elements sold separately, the Chess Men were referenced as Swarovski part number: 7469 100 000; the Glass Chess Board was referenced as Swarovski part number: 7550 345 006; the Glass Chess Case was referenced as Swarovski part number: 7700 255 032.

Since our favorite crystal brand produced the Swarovski Chess set during the period that the official Swarovski logo changed, it is possible to find the chess pieces with both logos. Off all the sets we sold, we did not find the actual crystal to be marked with either the Block SC logo or Swan logo, but instead found the logo to be a sticker on the underside of the chess pieces, much like the oldest Swarovski paperweights are marked.

Swarovski Chess Pieces and Swarovski Logos

Chess players know that there are 16 figurines in 2 difference colors comprising the set. (In the Swarovski Chess set, half the figurines are clear crystal and half the figurines are black crystal.) Each player has: 1 King, 1 Queen, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 Rooks, and 8 Pawns. To the best of my knowledge, Swarovski never sold these pieces individually. It may have been possible to buy replacements for missing or broken parts under a warranty period from Swarovski, however, since the Chess set has been retired for 4 years now, a collectors only recourse now would be the online auctions or finding them at a Swarovski crystal dealer, like Crystal Exchange America at www.CrystalExchange.com .

Swarovski USB Turtle Pet Keyring – a Kristall Buzz Opinion

Sep 232011

After writing the last article on the Swarovski Active Crystals, I was intrigued by the USB sparkly pets. In a spontaneous moment, I placed my order for the Swarovski Purple Chloy Memory Key in the online store.Â Perhaps it was a crazy ideaâ¦.$100 for a USB, but it looked so cute! And last week, my Swarovski Turtle USB arrivedâ¦yeah!

Swarovski USB Turtle

Swarovski Swan Logo

Everything looked all Swarovski-like on the outsideâ¦.box, identification label, etc.Â I opened up the box and pulled the USB memory key out of the packaging and began looking for a Swarovski logo. On the back of the plastic USB, sure enough, there was a white Swarski swan on one of the turtleâs feet.Â Nearby the logo, the printed words said âMade in Chinaâ.Â Made in China?Â I guess I was taken back a bit by that.

I knew that the turtle pulled apart as the head part is the USB.Â I tugged and tugged.Â It was rather stubborn, but it did finally release.Â The insideâ¦.now that was a surprise. Â I took a picture that shows the Swarovski USB Memory Key next to a USB stick that my kids use for school work.Â It looks a lot different.Â (Maybe this is the newest technology?) My kids didnât even believe me when I said it was a USB!Â Of course, the Swarovski USB Turtle did indeed work when I plugged it into my computer.

Swarovski USB

But in the end, hereâs my opinion of my $100 Swarovski USB purchase.Â I donât think the USB Turtle represents the high quality products that come to mind when I hear the word âSwarovskiâ.Â I didnât really expect an inexpensive plastic turtle with USB 1.0 / 2.0 compatibility.Â Â Â I knew it was 4GB, but still think for the price, it should have been 8GB or 16GB and USB 3.0 compatible.

My recommendation? Visit a Swarovski store so that you can see and know exactly what you are getting. If this is not possible, buy a higher capacity USB with a warranty for $20 or less, and use the money saved for genuine Swarovski crystal figurines.

Trimlite Clowns by Swarovski – Thank you for the Smiles!

Jul 242011

I recently learned that the first week of August is celebrated as ‘National Clown Week’….an interesting piece of trivia that I was unaware of. Clowns come in all shapes and sizes. Many clowns wear happy faces. Some clowns have special talents. Some clowns juggle. Some clowns do magic. Often, clowns can be found in a circus, at a theme park, in children’s hospitals, and in parades. If you see a clown, smile and let them know they’ve made you happy.

The famous crystal brand produced Swarovski Trimlite clowns in the 1980’s decade. All the Trimlite clowns were introduced in 1983 and retired in 1988. These Swarovski clowns were all a part of the “Circus Clowns and Marching Band” group.

Swarovski Trimlite Clowns

The 6 Trimlite Clowns by Swarovski are as follows (5 digit part number listed after name)

Trimlite Tall Clown – 52701
Trimlite Roller Skating Clown – 52702
Trimlite Clown on Tricycle – 52703
Trimlite Clown with Umbrella – 52704
Trimlite Clown Juggler- 52705
Trimlite Clown with Cannon – 52706

All the Swarovski Trimlite clowns incorporate the typical clown characteristics. They have silly clown hats. They have oversized clown feet. Some are performing their ‘special clown talent’. And best of all, the clowns are all doing something to make people smile.

The Swarovski logo that would be found on these crystal figurines is the Trimlite “T”. The Trimlite logo is stamped in the metal of the figurine. The Swarovski boxes for these figurines were white boxes with gold-colored plastic ribbons. Certificates are not applicable to these figurines as there is no such paperwork as a ‘Trimlite certificate’.

These Swarovski clown figurines retailed for $30 or $50 each in the 80’s when they were available in retail stores. Now, on the Swarovski secondary market or on online auctions, the clowns are likely to cost $200 to $300 each for ones in excellent condition with original packaging.

It is worthwhile to mention that the production quality of crystal figurines has vastly changed in the past 30 years. It is not unusual to see rough edges or other imperfections on the older crystal because that was likely acceptable standards at the time. Many serious crystal collectors will not accept chipped crystal figurines, but should be mindful that one considered ‘mint’ at that time will not likely as pristine as figures that are presently produced and sold. Now, due to the age of the Trimlite figurines, the gold has possibly dulled, tarnished, or even chipped off. Collectors should keep these things in mind when setting their own personal standards of acceptability into their own collection; do not require standards higher than what Swarovski themselves expected in the 1980’s.

Crystal Exchange America presently has 3 of the 6 Trimlite Clown figurines offered on their site, ranging in price $215 – $350. They can be found in “Vintage Swarovski” category, “Trimlite and Zales” sub-category of the store.

Swarovski Trimlite Hot Air Balloon Crystal Figurines

Jul 172011

This weekend, there was a Hot Air Balloon event (Ohio Challenge) here in my local community. Hot air balloons are beautiful, elegant, peaceful.. For the balloon pilots, this is an event, a challenge, a competition. Regardless of your roll, I think hot air balloons bring on excitement for people of all ages.

Years ago, our favorite crystal brand made hot air balloons in the Swarovski Trimlite product line. There were 8 different combinations of Trimlite Balloon products under 4 different Swarovski-assigned part numbers. The Swarovski hot air balloons were available in 2 different sizes: 3″ in height and 3.5″ in height. The Swarovski hot air balloons were available with 2 different metal finishes: gold colored and silver colored. Swarovski hot air balloons were available in 2 different crystal colors: crystal cal (more or less clear) and vitrail medium (more or less fuscia pink)

The size (3″ or 3.5″ tall) is NOT distinguishable from the part number. The Swarovski Trimlite product numbers were assigned as follows:

72403 – Trimlite Hot Air Balloon with gold colored accents and Crystal Cal balloon.
72404 – Trimlite Hot Air Balloon with gold colored accents and Vitrail Medium balloon.
72405 – Trimlite Hot Air Balloon with silver colored accents and Crystal Cal balloon.
72406 – Trimlite Hot Air Balloon with silver colored accents and Vitrail Medium balloon.

Trimlite Hot Air Balloon

All eight Swarovski Trimlite Hot Air Balloons were introduced in 1982 and retired in 1986. The Trimlite Balloon figurines were part of the “Boutiques” group. The 3″ hot air balloons retailed for $50 USD. The 3.5″ hot air balloons retailed for $80 USD each.

The Swarovski logo on these crystal figurines was NOT the traditional Block SC or Swan logo. Â This is because they were not in the Silver Crystal product lineâ¦.they were in the Trimlite product line. Â The Trimlite logo is the letter “T”, and is likely stamped into the metal of the Swarovski figurine, not on the crystal as is usually done now. It is very possible that a logo may not be found on the Trimlite balloon at all. Use care when purchasing crystal hot air balloons and check with reputable sources, like Crystal Exchange America or Warner’s Blue Ribbon Books on Swarovski, to ensure your are getting an authentic product if that is a major concern of the purchase.

Crystal Exchange America presently has 4 of the 8 Trimlite Hot Air Balloon figurines offered on their site, ranging in price $280 – $300. They can be found in “Vintage Swarovski” category, “Trimlite and Zales” sub-category of the store.