Thursday, March 20, 2008
Yesterday I was focusing on the complex process behind the arrangement of crystal ornaments on a Schonbek crystal chandelier.

But it occurred to me that the process gets even more surprising with Geometrix® high tech lighting.

These chandeliers and pendants look deceptively simple. After all, they are simply crystal jewels massed together in geometric shapes, aren’t they? But in fact, the position of every crystal in a Geometrix® chandelier is a matter of great concern to Schonbek. To keep hundreds of thousands of crystal jewels in control, to the point where they form a cube, a brick, a sphere or a spiral, is no mean engineering feat. And requires a true artist’s sensibility.

In some Geometrix® designs the sides of a cylinder or an oblong might be composed of loose strands, carefully organized and secured by the hidden framework. In other cases the crystal is held rigidly in place. The innumerable design decisions involved are driven by the desire to take full advantage of the beauty of the crystal and its dazzling prismatic action.

All Geometrix® designs are made with Swarovski crystal, either Strass® or Swarovski® Spectra®. So Schonbek is working in the realm of extreme brilliance. No one surpasses Swarovski in the making of gloriously refractive crystal jewels.

Another design factor is color. Schonbek is urging minimalists to escape the rut of monochromatic dullness by offering most Geometrix® designs in a plethora of shimmering colors. You can have the high tech look and make a bold statement with color as well. Many of these colors are composites of two or more colors.  The arrangement of the colored crystal jewels in relation to each other is critical to the dazzling impact of a Geometrix® design.

I’ve seen imitations of Geometrix® at trade shows, and the imitators are clueless about what’s involved to do what Schonbek does. They are obviously thinking to themselves, “Oh, nobody will ever notice if we use 20 percent less crystal.” And they're insensitive to the subtle color effects Schonbek achieves.

It was Eileen Schonbek Beer, creative director of Schonbek, who insisted that  Geometrix® designs needed to be shown in motion to be appreciated. So we created a DVD on Geometrix®, and we have videos of the various designs on this website.  The complex design work that goes into Geometrix®  yields a totally dynamic visual experience.  Check it out at a Geometrix® dealer to see what I mean.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

As I was looking at the objects on my kitchen windowsill this morning, I thought about the pleasure of arranging things just so, to satisfy some incomprehensible aesthetic instinct.

My thoughts turned to a certain Cézanne still life of fruit, pitcher etc. The arrangement might appear casual, but of course the artist pondered over the position of very apple and every fold of the tablecloth, even every smudge on the wall.

And I pictured Andrew Schonbek in the Schonbek design department, holding up a strand of crystal to a chandelier, considering if or where it should attach to the frame. When I recall footage of Andrew working on designs with his staff, this particular image always comes to mind. Contemplation doesn’t make for dramatic film, yet what Andrew is doing standing there with his strand of crystal is tremendously important.

When I interview the Schonbeks about new designs, the phrase “design integrity” comes up a lot. One element of this integrity is the mysterious decision process that leads to the placement of each and every crystal at precise points on a Schonbek crystal chandelier. Schonbek has actually engineered new and unusual hanging points to expand the possibilities of ways to trim a crystal chandelier.

Schonbek inevitably makes deeply satisfying arrangements, informed by generations of experience designing crystal chandeliers – as well as that gift you either have or haven’t: an artist’s eye.

I could use any Schonbek crystal chandelier for this discussion, but let’s look at Renaissance with rock crystal and clear and colored crystal. Note the fullness of the design. This chandelier is replete with crystal, yet every crystal jewel and gemstone has its own space, its own importance. There is perfect harmony between the overall design and all its details. You sense an ineffable grace from crown to finial.

But perhaps you’ll have trouble seeing this from a still photo. You really must visit a lighting showroom, and look at a collection of Schonbek chandeliers in person, to enjoy the beauty of these designs. Crystal chandeliers, after all, are three dimensional, and a Schonbek crystal chandelier fills its allotted space in the universe with great dignity and flair.

We happen to have a list of Schonbek rock crystal chandelier dealers on this website.

Monday, March 17, 2008

I always think it’s a good sign that children love crystal chandeliers. They see with such clear eyes. No agenda. Just an unencumbered love of beauty.

This weekend my seven-year-old niece Alexa came to visit with her family. She had rhinestone trim on her t-shirt, a tip-off that she favors a certain level of personal glitter. She wandered from room to room, taking special note of the crystal chandeliers.

“I like the way they’re different in every room,” she said. “There’s always something new to look at.” Among the crystal ornaments, her favorites were clear crystal and rock crystal, the clear crystal because “you could see it changing colors.” 

She couldn’t quite explain the attraction of the rock crystal. Not surprisingly. Even I, who have written reams about rock crystal chandeliers, can never really do justice to the mysterious appeal of this ancient quartz.

Her favorite space in the house seemed to be my upstairs hallway where I keep a collection of rocks from nearby lakes and mountains.  Two tiny New Orleans crystal chandeliers light this hallway. I’ve placed a chunk of raw rock crystal quartz among the rocks just for fun, and Alexa singled it out for special admiration.

Perhaps she’ll grow up to be a geologist. Or a celebrity of some sort who attends lots of red carpet events and is never far from crystal chandeliers.

I gave Alexa a little pendant made of Swarovski® crystal in celebration of her newfound love of crystal.