Thursday, November 1, 2007

The relationship between Schonbek and Swarovski goes way back. Certain classic Schonbek designs are like visual premonitions of the day when Schonbek would join forces with Swarovski.

An example is Trilliane.

Schonbek had an amazing idea with Trilliane. This design feels more like an ice sculpture than a crystal chandelier. At the same time as it’s icy and sculptural, it’s also leafy and flowery.

The brilliance of the design could only be achieved by using Swarovski® crystal, with its precision cutting of facets and flawless purity. And then to create the leafy eruptions of crystal at crown and gallery, Schonbek took exquisite Swarovski pendeloques and turned them upside down. No crystal but Swarovski crystal would have leant itself so beautifully to this innovation.

Swarovski has made a study of how to cut crystal to achieve an incomparable display of spectral brilliance. Schonbek has made a study of the crystal chandelier design, as influenced by every culture, every royal court, every historical event for the past five centuries. Both companies date back to the nineteenth century, and can point to generation after generation of family members exercising their talents in the pursuit of beauty. Small wonder that this week the Schonbeks and the Swarovskis finally decided to team up.

Trilliane has become a contemporary classic. But it also continues to evolve. The newest rendition of Trilliane is a lovely crystal basket supported by flowery crystal chains.

When it comes to design, Andrew Schonbek is always reaching for the next idea. I see this quality in Swarovski too.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

The idea of all-crystal chandeliers arose in the eighteenth century, not surprisingly, considering the opulent tastes of that age.

When I first started writing about Schonbek crystal chandeliers, I didn’t know what was meant by “all crystal.” Another term for this style is “glass-arm chandelier.” But that doesn’t convey the fact that the arms are made of fine crystal, not mere glass, so Schonbek prefers to speak of “all crystal chandeliers.”

Schonbek uses hand-formed crystal arms for these designs. This creates an engineering challenge, since as we all know, handmade things are subject to variation. Schonbek is meticulous about selecting crystal arms that are consistent with each other in a given chandelier. The quality control people worry about this so that you don’t have to. All you see is the perfect harmony of the finished design.

The crystal arms, gorgeous in themselves, also support a magnificent display of dazzling crystal pendants. Column pieces, dishes and bobeches contribute further to the splendor, being outstanding examples of elaborately cut crystal.

Olde World is the signature design of the Schonbek all-crystal chandelier collection, and it was designed by Arnold Schonbek, father of Andrew Schonbek and Eileen Schonbek Beer. Arnold was inspired by styling that was popular in nineteenth-century Bohemia, time and place of the founding of the Schonbek company. So Olde World has particular significance for the Schonbeks. Some configurations of Olde World have wildly exuberant crystal scrolls, which I find very appealing.

Olde World is trimmed with Strass®,  which is made by Swarovski and universally famous for its purity and brilliance. This crystal chandelier is a perfect illustration of how beautifully Schonbek and Swarovski work together.

You might ask (I did), now that Swarovski owns Schonbek, will every Schonbek chandelier be trimmed with Swarovski® crystal?  The answer is no. Schonbek is adept at the eclectic and imaginative use of crystal and will continue to exercise this talent.

Hamilton, for example, is an all-crystal chandelier trimmed with Heritage Handcut® crystal. And Sterling, also quite an elaborate all-crystal chandelier, offers you options. You can choose Strass® crystal for the ultimate in dazzle and perfection. You can go with Heritage Handcut®, if you like the idea of an artisan painstakingly hand-cutting and hand-polishing every pendant on your chandelier. Or you can make your chandelier purchase exceptionally affordable with Venetian crystal, which is molded, not cut. Schonbek calls its excellent Venetian crystal The Legacy Collection.®

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

A new powerhouse of creativity has just appeared on the lighting scene: Swarovski has acquired Schonbek.

Swarovski is the world leader in the production of fine cut crystal, including jewelry, collectibles and crystal chandelier ornaments. Schonbek is the leader worldwide in the design and manufacturing of crystal chandeliers. So this is an obviously potent mix of creativity.

Schonbek will still be Schonbek, with Andrew Schonbek in charge as the company president. I know he’s tremendously pleased with the Swarovski connection. He’ll be spending much less time on administrative detail and much more time doing what he loves: reinventing the crystal chandelier and startling the lighting industry with design breakthroughs.

I personally am delighted when I hear that Andrew Schonbek and Eileen Schonbek Beer will have more time to work on new designs. Odd as it may seem, one of my deepest pleasures on the job is describing the unique qualities of a new crystal chandelier. I do these write-ups for the website and PR, and of course major new products are featured in ads.

There are artists, and there are art appreciators (like me). I’ve always maintained that the appreciator of art gets as much joy from this activity as the creator of the art. And without art lovers, where would artists be?

Getting back to Swarovski, the more I learn about this company, the more perfect I find the fit with Schonbek. Andrew Schonbek pointed out to me the tremendous synergy that exists between Swarovski and Schonbek. I’ll quote Andrew from the joint press release: “Swarovski shares our dedication to beauty, our insistence on fine craftsmanship and our view of lighting as an art form. Their products, and ours, are enriched by a multi-generation family history of design excellence…”

The parallels in family history are quite compelling. Schonbek was founded by Adolf Schonbek in 1870 in Bohemia. Swarovski was founded in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski I, a Bohemian inventor in Austria. In both cases family members managed their companies, one generation after the next.

So now these two families who are totally focused on art and beauty are putting their heads together. That has to result in making the world a more beautiful place.