Swarovski crystal bead 5328/Jet 4 mm

In 1862, Daniel Swarovski was born in northern Bohemia where glass manufacturing reaches back well into the 14th century. His focus was on ornamental glass elements for the jewelry and fashion industry. Daniel Swarovski began to experiment with machines to create faceted crystal jewelry stones and invented an automatic glass faceting machine. His breakthrough resulted in a superior product in terms of efficiency, appearance and quality.

In 1880, at the age of 18, Swarovski traveled to Paris to introduce his product and new ideas. In Paris and other fashion-forward cities diamonds were growing in popularity, and the possibility of a more economical diamond cut crystal appealed to the masses. He recognized the potential for his invention and began to develop a brilliant cut crystal.

In 1883, Swarovski visited the International Electric Exhibition in Vienna, where he saw machines invented by Edison and others. Recognizing the significance of the new technology for his own industry, Swarovski set out to develop an electric crystal cutting machine. In 1892, he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of lead crystal glass jewelry in Prague.

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

Through the years, Swarovski has grown into an international company with several subsidiaries. Swarovski is renowned worldwide for manufacturing high-quality crystal products in a variety of forms, sizes and shapes.