By James Zeller

Quality cut crystal from Europe can be a treasure trove for the discerning buyer. Exquisite hand blown glass and cut crystal manufactured by master craftsmen in the Slovak and the Czech Republic is now becoming more available to the western market. Today, cut crystal of anniversary gift and heirloom quality is just one of the many glass products to choose from.

Although the Czechs and Slovaks are not the only skilled glass producers in Central Europe, few rival them in artistic range and expertise. Hardly a street in Prague is without a shop window that displays luxury cut crystal or fine hand blown glass. Visitors and tourists find breath-taking works of art exemplified in hand cut crystal and mouth blown glass.

In Bohemia, the craft and art of glassmaking goes back over 600 years. Often a family tradition, the craftsmanship of glass is highly specialized from artwork to glassworks production. Today, Czech glass is still one of the European heirloom treasures to look for and select that “perfect unique gift.”

After the collapse of the Communist Socialist system in 1989, state ran

glass factories in Czechoslovakia started down the path of privatization. More and more, they became free to make their own business decisions on which kind of glass they wished to produce and offer to market. Importers from the West also have more choices on goods and glass manufacturers as they are no longer required to go through state specified channels. The result has made world-class custom glass products from Bohemia, readily available to the world economy.

Collecting glass is an obsession to some. Locating and acquiring antique glass collectibles can be as exciting as finding new heirloom cut crystal from the shops of master craftsmen. From crystal chandeliers to colored decorative glass, Czech and Slovak pieces have become more sought after as centuries pass.

Heirloom crystal pieces can be cut to look like a faceted diamond in appearance. Leaded crystal is not the only top grade cut glass, some of the most elegant and expensive cut glass, in the world, contains no lead in it at all. Quality is reliant on the manufacturer and skill of the craftsmen rather than the type of glass produced.

Glass gifts are part of the civilized culture. Royalty often designated custom decorative glass pieces be made for occasions. Today, cut crystal has not lost its allure. Anniversary glass gifts can be cut crystal pieces or hand blown items. Cut crystal is selected for any anniversary year, but very often the 25th Anniversary gift and again for the 50th Anniversary present. Culinary and kitchen items have become popular for glass gifts of distinction. Gourmet kitchens often show off imported olive oil and aged vinegar, in hand blown decanters and cruets. Recently in vogue are glass-within-glass decanters of oil and vinegar. Their unique quality lends them to be an exceptional gift of European style and design.

About the Author: James Zeller writes for gift shopping blogs sites. Here is a selection of elegant cut crystal that he found and a unique & creative collection hand blown glass.

Source: www.isnare.com

By Penny Olson

My mission through writing this article is to broaden the horizons of your imagination while customizing Swarovski Crystal bouquets and boutonnieres. Many people may not know exactly how versatile these arrangements can be. The sky is the limit when designing in this medium. So I am going to offer several ideas that will get your mind working to create beautiful arrangements that will match not only your color scheme, but also your personality on your wedding day.

Swarovski Crystals come in endless shapes, sizes and colors. You can combine all of these in many different ways to create bouquets and boutonnieres that reflect your taste and style.

Combining Swarovski Crystals that are all the same color and the same shape but vary in size is very dramatic. You may choose to have the sizes distributed randomly throughout the arrangement or you could create a pattern with the larger crystals in the center and fading to smaller crystals on the outer edges. Or maybe try the smaller crystals in the center where they are a bit more abundant, with the larger ones on the outside. Since crystals are significantly heavier when you get to ten millimeters and above, it is nice to have them mounted on wires that are a little bit longer because this will create a lot of movement in your bouquet. Remember, the more a crystal moves, the more chances it has to catch light and sparkle incredibly bright.

Another option is to choose crystals that coordinate with your color scheme. For example, your bridesmaids and groomsmen are wearing a pale shade of blue. It is stunning to choose five or six shades of blue crystals in dark to light hues and combine them all together to create your bouquets and boutonnieres. This makes it very easy to compliment any accents that you will have on your day. Whether you are working with other fabrics, flowers, or jewelry, you don’t have to worry with matching the bouquets and boutonnieres perfectly to one item since there is such a great variation in tones.

Adding Swarovski Crystals to a traditional wedding bouquet or boutonniere is a very effective way to have crystal accents and stick to a more traditional theme. You can have the arrangements dominated by crystals or you may want to have the flowers take over and have the crystals add merely a hint of glitz and glamor.

While speaking with a bride recently at a wedding show, she told me that she would like to have a theme of rubies for her Valentines Day wedding. I suggested that she create a bouquet and boutonniere that have ruby red crystals in the center in the shape of a heart and have clear crystals surrounding them. She could have the entire bouquet arranged in the shape of a heart, a butterfly, a star, or even a grapevine.

I hope that I have helped you in opening the doors to the endless possibilities that are given to you when you choose Swarovski Crystal Bouquets and boutonnieres. For more ideas on creating Swarovski Crystal bouquets and boutonnieres.

About the Author: Penny Olson is the owner and designer for http://www.brilliant-wedding-jewelry.com

Source: www.isnare.com

By Penny Olson

I have found that when you wear crystals on a daily basis they tend to lose a little bit of their luster. Let’s face it, the reason why we choose Swarovski is because they are top of the line. There is nothing in the market that will catch your eye and sparkle quite like a Swarovski crystal.

But if you wear crystals over a period of time you may find that they appear to be a little bit dull, not quite as bright as the day that you brought them home. I am going to talk about 2 very simple and inexpensive solutions that you can do at home to keep the brilliance in the jewelry that you love so much.

Most of the things that will take away from the beauty of a crystal are from everyday activities that most women do to take care of ourselves. Hairspray, lotions, make-up, and even oils from our skin can sit on the surface of each facet and mute the brilliance that really makes Swarovski crystal jewelry so unique.

The good news is that it is not difficult or expensive to maintain this beauty. You will find that a lot of the ingredients that I suggest, you probably already have in the house or can easily be purchased at any grocery or convenience store and you won’t break your wallet.

My personal favorite is one that a lot of people carry around with them already, Baby Wipes!!! You will be amazed at how easy it is to restore the shine in your crystals by simply holding a wipe between your thumb and a few fingers and rolling the crystals back and fourth once or twice and move along, continuing the process until you have cleaned all of them. Once you have finished, dry them off with a clean cotton cloth or a tissue, just be sure that it is a plain tissue not the kind that contain lotion.

Another simple way to maintain the brilliance of your Swarovski crystals is to make a solution that contains water, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap, it is a very easy and non-abrasive way to get all the hairspray, facial oils and other things off of the surface of your Swarovski crystal jewelry and restore that incredible sparkle.

In a plastic container that has a sealing lid, add 3/4 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 tablespoon of dish soap. Close the lid and shake thoroughly to mix the ingredients. Then place your jewelry in the solution and replace the lid. You will only need to eave it in there for one or two minutes, I would not recommend longer than that unless it is necessary. While your crystals are soaking GENTLY swirl the container for 30 seconds and then let it sit for the remaining minute. Then remove your crystal jewelry and run it under warm water to remove the soap and dry it in a clean cotton cloth. It will look like you just bought it!

About the Author: Penny Olson is the owner and designer for http://www.brilliant-wedding-jewelry.com

Source: www.isnare.com