Swarovski crystals
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Fashion, Crystal, Jewelry |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Founders |
Daniel Swarovski Armand Kosman Franz Weis |
| Headquarters | Wattens, Austria |
|
Key people
|
Markus Langes-Swarovski, Robert Buchbauer, Nadja Swarovski |
| Products | crystal, genuine gemstones, created stones, and finished products such as accessories and lighting solutions |
|
Number of employees
|
Approx. 32,000 (2016) |
| Website | www.swarovski.com |
Swarovski (/swɒrˈɒfski/ sworr-off-skee, German pronunciation: [svaˈʀɔfski]) is an Austrian producer of crystal headquartered in Wattens, Austria. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal Business, that primarily produces crystal jewelry and accessories; Swarovski Optik, which produces optical instruments of high precision such as telescopes and binoculars; Tyrolit, a leading manufacturer of grinding, sawing, drilling, and dressing tools, as well as a supplier of tools and machines.
Today, Swarovski Crystal Business is the highest grossing business unit with a global reach of approximately 2,800 stores in around 170 countries, more than 27,000 employees, and a revenue of about 2.6 billion euros (in 2016).
Daniel Swarovski 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.—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.
Nadja Swarovski, the founder's great-great granddaughter, is a member of the Swarovski executive board.
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Wikipedia