Lalique
Lalique glass is lead based, either mold blown or pressed. Favored motifs during the Art Nouveau period were dancing nymphs, fish, dragonflies, and foliage. Characteristically the glass is crystal in combination with acid-etched relief. Later some items were made in as many as ten colors (red, amber, and green among them) and were occasionally accented with enameling. These colored pieces, especially those in, black, are highly prized by advanced collectors. During the '20s and '30s, Lalique designed several vases and bowls reminiscent of American Indian art. He also developed a line in the Art Deco style decorated with stylized birds, florals, and geometries. In addition to vases, clocks, automobile mascots, stemware, and bottles, many other useful objects were produced. While not well known, Lalique also experimented with bronze and other materials as well. Most glass was clear or opalescent glass and signed via engraving or in the mold "R. Lalique". The R. Lalique signature was only used until 1945 with the death of René. At that time, René Lalique's son Marc took over the company. Production of many pieces produced prior to 1945 ceased following René's death although some are still in production albeit with a different marking. The firm is still in operation today.
Orrefors
The road to Orrefors winds through deep forests of spruce that open suddenly on darkly glistening lakes, and meadows and farmhouses set behind stonewalls. Here are the elements that gave rise to glassblowing, and which are reflected today in the finished glass; the ripples across the water, the sunbeams that penetrate the tall, dense stands of spruce, and the crystal-clear air. It is hardly surprising that the glass created here is beloved all over the world. The Swedish glass industry was born about 250 years ago, not far from Orrefors - only about 20 kilometers as the crow flies. In the summer of 1742 the first glassworks, warehouse, potash furnace and smithy were inaugurated in which is now the small village of Kosta.
Kosta Boda
Founded in 1742 by Swedish county governors and former war veterans Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Stael von Holstein, this glassworks company got its start producing utility glass for windows and chandeliers in the Swedish royal palace and in churches. The first factory was established in a rural forested area because of the copious amounts of wood required to fuel the wood-fired furnaces. Early glassblowers crafted Kosta Boda's crystal using Swedish sand for strength and were given complete artistic license in their designs. This glassblowing tradition passed down through generations of the same families, producing a pocket of expert craftsmen in this small Swedish county. In addition, Kosta Boda's local factories multiplied, making this region the center of Swedish crystal production. In 1898 Kosta Boda began hiring outside artists and designers to work with the glassblowers to create other, one-of-a-kind pieces. The company increased its ranks by purchasing two smaller glassworks companies, Boda and Åfors, in 1964. Kosta Boda was then acquired by competitor Orrefors in 1990, and again, in 1997, by Danish porcelain manufacturer Royal Copenhagen as the crystal-producing arm of the business. Today Kosta Boda employs just 10 exclusive designers and centers its efforts on handmade art glass products.
"Our life blood," says designer Anna Ehrner, "is the creative process that takes place in the blowing room." Born in 1948, Ehrner has been retained by Kosta Boda since 1974 and maintains a studio at Kosta glassworks. Experimental in style, Ehrner's work is distinguished by simple yet powerful shapes and an ability to achieve shimmering displays by using color in subtle ways. For her, the final objective is almost always a synthesis between practical utility and elegant design, even though the final piece may be years in the making. Ehrner takes inspiration from nature--the lagoons of the Pacific, the northern lights--and veils of color inside the crystal have also become something of a trademark in her art glass. She is the originator of sales successes such as the Line glasses and the Atoll series of bowls.
Baccarat
Baccarat Glass was established in 1765 by the Bishop of Metz who wanted to encourage industry in the little village of Baccarat, some 250 miles east of Paris, France. The Verrerie de Sainte Anne at Baccarat made all kinds of utility glassware (windows, bottles, tableware) and flourished for many years. They survived the French Revolution (1789) but struggled through the Napoleonic Wars (1812-1815).
In 1815 the great French glassworks at Voneche in Northern France found itself outside the new French frontier in the newly created country of Belgium. The owner of Voneche, a Parisian named Aime-Gabriel D'Artigues, bought the Baccarat glassworks so that he could re-establish his business in France and continue to serve French customers without paying heavy import taxes. There is a story that he struck a deal with the King of France to reduce his import taxes from Voneche in return for setting up again in France.
The new company Voneche-Baccarat focussed on high quality lead-crystal glass and over the past 180 years Baccarat have developed many new techniques in making the finest crystal glass. In 1822 D'Artigues sold the glassworks and the new owners set up the Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat (keeping Voneche as part of the name until 1843). It soon became and remains today, the foremost glassworks in France. The company won medals at major exhibitions in Paris from 1823 onwards.
Baccarat is famous for its wonderful crystal paperweights, its superb crystal glass tableware, for 19th century colored lead crystal glass and "opaline" ware, for beautiful decanters and bottles, and for superb lead crystal sculptures of animals and birds. The Bohemian/Venician technique of embedding millefiori canes was taken over by Baccarat in the 1840s and their lead crystal glass paperweights with millefiori designs surpass anything produced in that period from Bohemia or Venice.
The technique of embedding cameo sulphides in paperweights, was raised to a fine art by Baccarat in the early 19th century, and continues to be used today. The Baccarat company has a reputation as a caring employer of generations of glassworkers. The small town of Baccarat is almost exclusively dependent on this glassworks, and is a delightful place to visit.
SWAROVSKI
Swarovski (Austrian) Crystal is considered by many people to be the finest quality, full-lead
crystal made today. It contains a minimum of 32%PbO, making the crystal optically very pure. The crystal is then faceted with tremendous precision, creating beautiful prisms. Brilliant colors and/or coatings are added to these crystals to create pendants, stones, and beads of dazzling beauty and tremendous variety of shapes and sizes. Swarovski Crystal is unmatched in quality and distinction.
Swarovski Crystal in all its facets
When Daniel Swarovski first brought a sparkle to crystal, over a hundred years ago, he could never have imagined what a development he was setting in motion. With fantasy, intuition and technical finesse, he and his ancestors have managed to expose all the facets hidden within this fascinating material. Today, sparkling Crystal Components in thousands of colors, shapes and sizes provide a fantastic palette of inspiration for designers and manufacturers. Over and above this, we create jewelry, accessories and a stunning cornucopia of sparkling objects which make ideal gifts and collectibles
Timeline
1862 - Daniel Swarovski - The play of light in crystal must have fascinated Daniel Swarovski from early childhood. He was born in 1862 in Bohemia where crystal defined life in his parents' house. Bohemia, at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was one of the most important manufacturing centers for glass and crystal. Crystal was also cut in his father's small factory.
As a young boy Daniel often watched the work in his father's business. Later he completed his apprenticeship with his father, as well as at several other crystal-cutters. When, at the age of 21, he visited the "1. Elektrische Ausstellung" (First Electrical Exhibition) in Vienna, he had the idea of his life: the new techniques from Siemens and Edison inspired him to develop a machine for cutting crystal. He worked day and night at realizing his vision. Finally, nine years later (1892), he was ready to register a patent: a machine which, for the first time, made it possible to cut crystal to perfection. It was far faster and more precise than the manual work to date.
Thus began a new era in the world of crystal. The foundations had been laid for today's company. Daniel Swarovski together with his brother-in-law Franz Weis and with Armand Kosmann founded it in 1895.
1960 The first sales team is founded in Kaufbeuren, Germany. Today the worldwide distribution of Swarovski products is organized by 44 of our own distribution companies together with our trade associates.
1972 - Swarovski is the main supplier of the popular "Moodstone", which changes color according to the mood of the person wearing it.
1995 - To cut hard materials such as crystal and gems in such a way that they have a hundred identical facets in several directions is a very complicated task: each direction of the reflected light must first be calculated by computer, then this has to be simulated in 3D, optimized and finally converted into control programs for complex machinery. In 1995, thanks to the latest computer technology, Swarovski was able to perfect this type of hi-tech fine cutting technique
Folli Follie
"Affordable, fashionable luxury" is the idea behind Folli Follie, the Greek jewelry, watches and fashion accessories success story. Founded by Dimitris and Ketty Koutsolioutsos in 1982, the company is now active in more than 20 countries with more than 250 points of sale worldwide, including flagship stores in Barcelona, Shanghai and Taipei. Listed on the Athens Stock Exchange since 1997, it is also ranked among the top 10 luxury brands in Japan.
"There is no magic recipe when it comes to a brand's success," says George Koutsolioutsos, Folli Follie's vice president. "Right from the start it's about a long-term strategy and an impeccable product of sustained quality — world markets are very demanding and they never forgive."
In the case of Folli Follie, it is about constantly renewed collections of stylish jewelry, ranging from youthful stainless steel pendants to elegant white gold and diamond rings. It also offers the K collection, a series of one-of-a-kind pieces; a line of men's and women's watches known as the Triton, as well as leather handbags, pashminas and sunglasses.
"From the very beginning our culture was not confined to Greece, and we soon realized that the local market behaved just like the international one," said Koutsolioutsos. "Believing that your product is unique for any kind of market is an advantage."
The maverick entrepreneur George Korres chose not to use Greek names for the promotion of his line of natural cosmetics.
Making optimum use of Greek herbs and other local ingredients — without discarding ingredients from all over the world — his company, Korres Natural Products, offers products such as Iris Florentina firming and restructuring face cream, Sugar Crystal multivitamin skin shield and Absinthe, a no-foam shaving cream for men.
"Essentially you have to find what is right for the entire world," says Korres. "Outside their motherland, products may seem exotic, but as you move along, it doesn't really matter, because ultimately they correspond to the clients' needs. Our products are enjoyed by consumers in Singapore, Paris and Australia. That has to do with our values, which are universal."
Korres believes that demand for beauty-care products free of mineral oils and silicone will help push the success of his brand which was launched in 1996.
In Greece, his products are distributed through a network of more than 3,000 pharmacies; in London, the first international freestanding Korres outlet opened in May last year. His products are also available in London at Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, The Conran Shop, and Liberty stores. The brand is set to be launched in 50 Sephora outlets in the United States, while it has already entered the French, Italian, Hong Kong, Kuwaiti and Singapore markets.
Would things have developed in a different way given another country of origin? "Only on a commercial level," says Korres. "Perhaps we would have grown sooner."
If logistics is one prerequisite for success, history is another. "Brand equals design," says Maria Lalaounis, a scion of the Lalaounis family of jewelers and head of the company's production unit.
The idea for the brand began in the 1950s when two American women asked Ilias Lalaounis, an Athens-based jeweler, to reproduce two pieces of jewelry based on ancient Greek motifs that they had seen in a museum. Faced with this challenge, Lalaounis began studying ancient Greek goldsmith techniques. Since then, through a plethora of collections, the designer has reinterpreted Greek and other cultures — from pre-Columbian to Scythian.
"In the beginning, it was a unique concept, based on the singular renaissance of ancient Greek jewelry and a revival of 22 karat gold," says Maria Lalaounis. Today, the collections include "DNA" and "the harmony of chaos," reflecting the forces of nature and the beauty of science. "We are always concerned with pushing the brand forward while maintaining its essence, but we are a rather conservative type of company, we don't want to make shocking changes," says Lalaounis. "We do not, however, exclude a major image change sometime in the future."
This kind of global outlook is reflected in design as well as in business: the first international, freestanding Lalaounis store was opened in Paris in 1968. Today there are 15 stores in Greece and outlets abroad from Geneva and Zurich to New York, Osaka and Tokyo.
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