Swarovski

Swarovski AG (/swɒrˈɒfski/ sworr-OFF-skee, German pronunciation [svaˈʀɔfski]) is an Austrian producer of luxury cut lead glass, headquartered in Wattens, Austria. The company is split into two major industry areas, the Swarovski Kristall business unit that primarily works with luxury items, fashion design crystals and high-end optics such as telescopes, and the Tyrolit business unit that manufactures bonded abrasives as well as concrete sawing and drilling machinery.

History

Daniel Swarovski (October 24, 1862 – January 23, 1956), formerly Daniel Swartz, was born in northern Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was a glass cutter who owned a small glass factory. It was there that the young Swarovski served an apprenticeship, becoming skilled in the art of glass-cutting. In 1892 he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of crystal glass.

In 1895, Swarovski financier Armand Kosman and Franz Weis founded the Swarovski company, originally known as A. Kosman, Daniel Swartz & Co., which was later shortened to K.S. & Co. The company established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens, Tyrol (Austria), to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes Daniel Swarovski patented.

Svárovský

Svárovský and its variations are Czech surnames.

See also

Swarovski (disambiguation)

Swarovski may refer to: