Vintage Mr. Swarovski

1940’s Vintage faux Pearl and Aurora Borealis Necklace with 14k gold Florentine Cameo

Vintage Swarovski crystals date back to 1892, when Daniel Swarovski invented the electric glass-cutting machine. His first factory was built in Wattens, Austria, where the Rhine River served as his source of energy for running the machine. It is thus, this famous river that gave birth to the term “Rhinestone.” By 1913 Swarovski had its own factory and had developed a formula for a flawless crystal.

Throughout the 1920’s the demand for crystals grew worldwide. The biggest designers in fashion, like Coco Chanel used them to design costume jewelry that every woman wanted and desired at the time. Fortunate for the Swarovski company, this trend never really died, and even women today can’t seem to get enough of the Swarovski bling.

The Aurora Borealis trend of 1956 gave rise to an entirely different style of crystal. A metallic coating was applied to the crystals, to create an iridescent effect, which became one of Swarovski’s trademarks. Daniel’s grandson, Manfred Swarovski, later went on to perfect this process alongside Christian Dior.

This necklace is reminiscent of 1920’s style and character. I paired some beautiful Aurora Borealis crystals with some faux pearls from the 1950’s as well for a dramatic “flapper” effect. The cameo is the only part of this necklace that is not vintage but it is 14k white gold and hand carved in Florence. It sells for $275.

Bohemian Glass

The history of bead making in Czechoslovakia is an interesting one. Bohemian craftsmen gave rise to the world’s largest glass industry during the Renaissance period, but it wasn’t until the industrial revolution that new machines could produce vast quantities of identical beads. After centuries of competition with Venice, Czech glass makers went on to master the process of pressed glass.

After WWI the bead industry had nearly collapsed and it wasn’t until after the Great Depression that bead production resumed. Subsequent to the war, Bohemia became part of the new Czechoslovakian state, and in 1945 the entire industry was nationalized under communist rule. In 1958, the communist party had no choice but to look for goods to export in exchange for hard cash, so the Czech Republic once again became the largest exporter of glass beads in the world.

This necklace is a beautiful example of how Czechoslovakian glass came to be part of my vintage Jewelry line. These beads probably arrived in the U.S. during the late 1950's/ early 1960's.

This necklace sells for $250. Please contact me by email to purchase any of my work at KellyEFielding@gmail.com