Swarovski, a Legacy of Beauty By Sandy Nesoff Photos courtesy of Swarovski AG old and diamonds have been the currency of the wealthy since time immemorial. No costume jewelry and no iron pyrites (fool’s gold). Is there anything more beautiful than a diamond necklace or ring or a bracelet of gold? Absolutely. In the small Austrian village of Wattens, not far from the German border the face of a giant with an open mouth, water pouring forth, sits, waiting to greet visitors. It’s a strange and garish entry to what could arguably be one of the most beautiful collections in the world, Kristallwelten . This is the Swarovski Museum holding the display of the most amazing man-made crystals ever created. They shine, they sparkle and many people can not tell the difference between a Swarovski crystal and the purest white diamond from the mines of South Africa. In the entrance, enclosed in a giant glass case, is a huge crystal in the shape of a diamond waiting to be set in en engagement ring for a women of ginormous proportions. But that is only the start. Just a short distance further into the museum is the life-sized effigy of a horse bedecked in a saddle, bridle and stirrups with thousands of crystals adorning them. It was custom made for an oil rich Arabian sheik who, no doubt, rides it through the sand dunes of his native “wherever.” His identity and nationality are not disclosed.
JULY JULY 2015 2015| |NEW NEWYORK YORKLIFESTYLES LIFESTYLESMAGAZINE MAGAZINE|| 33