The Story Behind LUX European Crystal™

In 1548, among the mountains of Northern Bohemia (known today as Crystal Valley), the first glass kiln was used, and a sparkling new industry was born.

Exactly four hundred years later, in 1948, 25 independent glassmakers came together in the small town of Jablonec nad Nisou and Preciosa was born.

Centuries later, Daniel Swarovski (24 October 1862 – 23 January 1956), a Czech-born glass cutter, jeweler, and founder of the Swarovski crystal dynasty, patented an electric cutting machine and immigrated to Austria. The Wattens Tyrol factory location was chosen for its local hydroelectricity, which supported the energy-intensive grinding processes Swarovski had patented.

In November 2020, Swarovski announced a massive corporate restructuring focused on protecting its brand usage. As of November 2021, the brand name is used only for strategic luxury partnerships. Factory workers lost their jobs. Regional operations were closed worldwide, limiting it to only five countries—the United States, Spain, Italy, the U.K., and China. Resellers across the globe lost access to these beloved products almost immediately.

During this massive transition, many LUX European Crystals™ went from production in the previous factories to production by Preciosa. The Rhinestones Unlimited team continues to make this transition seamless for our customers.