Tag: Swarovski NLE

Swarovski Wild Horses – NLE in 2001

The Swarovski Wild Horses were the third Swarovski NLE produced for SCS members, available in 2001.  This Swarovski masterpiece celebrated 25 years for the Swarovski Silver crystal product line.  The Swarovski Limited Edition Wild Horses are my favorite of the NLE that was produced by the crystal giant.

Swarovski Numbered Limited Edition Wild Horses

The NLE Wild Horses were designed by Martin Zendron, who is credited with over 80 figurines to date.  The Swarovski Wild Horses were a result researching and watching mustangs in North America and horses in the Austrian Alps.

10,000 Swarovski Wild Horses were produced, along with 150 production samples.  This Swarovski NLE was the first NLE to utilize frosted accents.  Frosting was used on the manes and tails, along with the flat base that the pair of clear horses is attached to.  The 2001 Wild Horses is just over 13″ long and is about 5 1/2″ tall.  Swarovski assigned the part number 7607 000 003 and system number 236 720 to the 2001 Wild Horses.

Like all the previous Swarovski NLE, the Wild Horses came in a grey leather-like suitcase, with gloves and a cleaning cloth.  This suitcase lock for this figurine does not use a key like previous NLE cases (Eagle and Peacock).  This was more convenient to avoid issues with key loss, as well as it being more secure with 2 separate latches.  Additionally, this figurine is accompanied by an official signed Swarovski certificate that includes the unique sequence number that matches the laser-engraved number in the base of the Wild Horses.  A full color presentation book was also included in the box

The Wild Horses has a separate black wooden stand to make the figurine a bit more stable.  Swarovski also used the concept of a separate display stand for 4 NLE.  (I never cared for the display stands as this blocked light in my crystal cabinet making it more difficult to enjoy figurines displayed on shelves below the stands.)

The Numbered Limited Edition Swarovski Wild Horses had the 2nd highest original MSRP of $4000, outdone only by the Swarovski NLE Rhinoceros in 2008 at $4125.  On the secondary market, the Wild Horses is out-performing all the other Swarovski NLE, presently selling at $3900 – $4700 for recent transactions.

If you want to own the unique Swarovski crystal masterpiece, the Swarovski Wild Horses, available only to SCS members in 2001, Crystal Exchange America does have a few available.  Simply visit their online store at www.CrystalExchange.com and then navigate to the Collector Society / SCS category, then SCS Annual & Limited Editions.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Crystal Limited Edition Elephant – Cheap, cheap!

Swarovski crystal fanatics will be intrigued to hear about a terrific deal at Crystal Exchange America!  This retired Swarovski dealer has an exceptional offer on the Swarovski NLE Elephant.

Swarovski Limited Edition Elephant

First, some background on this special crystal sculpture figurine.  The Limited Edition Elephant was produced in 2006, with a maximum production of 10,000 units.  The Elephant originally retailed for $3250 during the time it was available from Swarovski.  This Swarovski NLE was designed by Heinz Tabertshofer and is identified with the brand’s product number 9100 000 034 and system number 854 407.  The Elephant has a length of approximately 11″.  It came with a mirrored stand for display, gloves, a certificate with a matching number to the laser-engraved crystal, and is encased in a royal blue locking suitcase.

So, hearing that the Swarovski Limited Edition Elephant was limited to 10,000 pieces, collectors would likely think this is a must have figurine for their collection.  I looked quickly at the online auctions and found none available under $3500, and the most recent completed sale was at $3599 including shipping.  Given the additional information on this Limited Edition Elephant, Swarovski collectors may find it terrific news that Crystal Exchange America has a client willing to sell for $2000 + shipping!  This particular Swarovski Elephant is on site and inspected. The only flaw found is that there is a small chip on the underside of the back left foot, but it cannot be detected when displayed.  If this attractive price on the Swarovski Elephant is enticing enough, and you want to purchase, add this Swarovski Elephant to your cart, then proceed with the checkout process to ensure that you don’t miss out.  After this one has sold, the next lowest price Elephant is over $5100, more than $3100 higher.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski News: Swarovski Orange Shine Panther, NLE of 888, Sold Out!

Today, we received the official Swarovski news that the Swarovski Orange Shine Panther is now SOLD OUT!  The Orange Shine Panther publicly launched August 29, 2011.  This Swarovski Panther was a limited edition figurine (Swarovski NLE) of 888 units.  The orange wild cat, in a typical cat pose, retailed for $1110.

Despite it being another limited edition panther, I expected a quick sell out, like the Swarovski  Black Panther.  The Swarovski Limited Edition Black Panther (Swarovski NLE) was limited to 500 units and retailed for $960 when it was briefly available at the online Swarovski shoppe in April, 2010.

The Orange Shine Panther and Black Panther are among Swarovski crystal feline friends, .Swarovski also produced a clear Panther figurine, that retired in 2011 and a moroda Panther figurine which is presently available in the Swarovski shoppe. The Kristall Buzz has featured a number of articles about Swarovski Panthers:

I’m wondering what the crystal brand is thinking.

  • Is another colored, limited edition Swarovski panther figurine in the works?
  • Does the extended time available indicate that Swarovski collectors did not like the orange-shine color?
  • Does the extended time available imply that Swarovski collectors might not be interested to purchase another limited edition panther in a different color?

Now, if feline fanatics want to purchase the Swarovski Orange Panther, they will have to turn to the secondary market or online auctions.  At Crystal Exchange America, the Black Panther and Orange Shine Panther, as well as other Swarovski NLE figurines, can be found in the Limited Edition Swarovski category of the store.  Or collectors can use the powerful store search feature, keyword panther to restrict the search results to Swarovski panthers.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski News for Crystal Fanatics in Italy – SCS Gala Dinner and Signing Event October 15-16

Swarovski is hosting a very special event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italy as a united nation at Museo Capitolini!

The SCS Gala dinner is October 15, and registration is required.  Swarovski designers Anton Hirzinger and Adi Stocker will be in attendance as well as local celebrities.  Attendees of this magnificent gala event will be offered a private tour and viewing Capitolini Museum, which is the oldest museum in the world.

The crystal brand has produced a special Swarovski NLE crystal sculpture for preview and purchase during this gala event.  The figurine is La Lupa, which is a crystal portrayal of the famous Capitoline Wolf created solely for Italy during this year of celebration.  The Swarovski La Lupa sculptures should be available for purchase during the weekend.

The Swarovski signing event is October 16.  Designers Anton Hirzinger and Adi Stocker will be signing their own Swarovski crystal creation for SCS members in attendance.

Crystal fanatics in Italy can contact Sw

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Designer Artist Elisabeth Adamer – a profile by the Kristall Buzz

The Swarovski brand has used more than 60 designers for their renowned crystal figurines.  Surely, there are many other talents individuals who contribute to these creative crystal designs, but commonly, only a single individual is credited for the majority of the figurine designs.

Swarovski Designer Elizabeth Adamer
Elizabeth Adamer

Elisabeth Adamer is a Swarovski artist that joined the design team in 2004. But prior to that, Elisabeth Adamer’s education includes four years of vocational school for arts and crafts in Innsbruck and a higher education program at the Glasfachschule Kramsach. She graduated from this specialized glass arts school with a degree in Design in 2002.

Elisabeth Adamer credits her sister, an avid collector, for her introduction into Swarovski.  She states that animals have been an important part of her life, and recently taken interest in the underwater world.

 

 

Elisabeth Adamer has been recognized with 26 Swarovski crystal figurine designs from 2004 through 2011.

  • 2006 Elisabeth Adamer designs: Brother Bear, Mother Bear, and Sister Bear
  • 2007 Elisabeth Adamer designs: Goat, Goat Kid, Rose Blossom, and Roses
  • 2008 Elisabeth Adamer designs: Gnu, Hoopes, and Christmas Kris Bear
  • 2009 Elisabeth Adamer designs: Air Ornament, Christmas Kris Bear, Galapagos Tortoise, and Black Diamond Woodpeckers
  • 2010 Elisabeth Adamer designs: Smoky Quartz Batfish, Bee-eaters, Fire Ornament, Scuba Blue Surgeonfish, SCS Tiger, SCS Sitting Tiger Cub, and SCS Standing Tiger Cub
  • 2011 Elisabeth Adamer designs: Topaz Sea Goldies
Swarovski Topaz Sea Goldies by Elisabeth Adamer
Swarovski Topaz Sea Goldies

Elisabeth Adamer was also credited with three Swarovski NLE designs:

  • Amurath  – Limited Edition Arabian Stallion, production limited to 300 units
  • Alsaqur Alamaki   – Limited Edition Falcon, production limited to 300 units
  • Kiran Tiger – Limited Edition Tiger, production limited to 33 units which were primarily for fund-raising

Nine of the Elisabeth Adamer designs are still considered current, and can be found in the online Swarovski Shoppe:  Limited Edition Alsaqur Alamake. Rose Blossom, Gnu, Hoopoes, Black Diamond Woodpeckers, Smoky Quartz Batfish, Bee-eaters, Scuba Blue Surgeonfish, and Topaz Sea Goldies.

Of all the Elisabeth Adamer designs, I like the Swarovski Sea Goldies.  I enjoy snorkeling to see the brilliantly colored salt-water fish, and this crystal piece reminds me of the good times I’ve had snorkeling.

Great figurines Elisabeth can’t wait to see more Underwater Swarovski designs!

 

 

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Crystal Myriad Retirements at RetiredSwarovski.com

RetiredSwarovski.com is an established web site known for its up-to-date listings of Swarovski Crystal retirements.  Recently, the Crystal Myriad product line of Swarovski Limited Editions has been added to the site documenting those Swarovski sculptures that the crystal brand has retired.

The Swarovski Crystal Myriad sculptures are Swarovski Numbered Limited Editions, Swarovski NLE for short.  The Crystal Myriad sculptures range in price from $12,000 – $18,000, and each has a maximum production of 300 units.  The Crystal Myriad figurines are custom made shortly after an order is received according to the Swarovski web site.

In 2009, Swarovski introduced four Crystal Myriad sculptures: a dragon Swarovski Jinlong, an elephant Swarovski Matang, a falcon Swarovski Alsaqr Almalaki, and a stallion Swarovski Amurath.  According to the RetiredSwarovski.com web site, two of these four items are now retired.

Swarovski used their own signature pointiage technique to apply 32,000 – 63,000 hand-set crystals.  This same technique is also being used on the Swarovski Limited Edition Hello Kitty figurine which is to launch near August, 2011.  The Swarovski Hello Kitty sculpture will be limited to 88 pieces world-wide and will have approximately 20K hand-set crystals.

If you prefer less expensive, but still exclusive Swarovski Limited Editions, many can be had from Crystal Exchange America web site.  Just look in the ‘Limited Editions’ and ‘SCS Annual and Limited Editions’ categories of the store web site www.CrystalExchange.com

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Bald Eagle NLE Online Ordering Begins April 11, 2011

Swarovski stores have been accepting orders for the Swarovski Bald Eagle from their SCS customers since mid-February.  Beginning April 11, 2011, it will be possible for Swarovski SCS members to place their order online at the Swarovski site.

Swarovski Bald Eagle, Limited Edition for 2011
Swarovski states that this is the largest colored, cut sculpture ever produced by the crystal brand.  I think it will be interesting to see if the ‘color’ excites Swarovski collectors, or if they pass on the opportunity to purchase because they personally prefer the ‘clear’ sculptures.  I hear both sides from our customers.
The Swarovski Bald Eagle is the seventh Swarovski Numbered Limited Edition (of 10,000) issued by Swarovski since 1995.  Previous Swarovski NLE can be generally obtained on the secondary market:

So if you are an SCS member, you will have another option for ordering your Swarovski Crystal Bald Eagle.  If you are not an SCS member, you can join now, or simply wait 3 months (hoping that they do not sell out to Swarovski SCS members) and place your order online in July, 2011.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Crystal NLE Hong Kong Art Object sold by Crystal Exchange America

The Swarovski Hong Kong Pyramid is an exceptional sculpture that was in the Swarovski Crystal Home Accessories product line.  The Swarovski crystal figurine that sold in January had a price tag of $900 with shipping cost included.

Are you curious to know how rare or hard-to-find that it may be?  Swarovski produced only 1997 of them from 1997 to 1998.  Each of the Hong Kong Pyramids produced is numbered, that that makes this sculpture a Swarovski Numbered Limited Edition (Swarovski NLE).  The original MSRP of the Swarovski crystal figurine was approximately $1100 USD.

The designer who created the unique sculpture wasTsang Mei Fong.  The designer’s design was a competition winner, where her crystal figurine was selected to commemorate the transition year of Hong Kong.  The Swarovski Part number is 9280 000 035.  The Swarovski system number is 222 858.  This magnificent art object measures 12″ in height and 2″ square at the base.

Swarovski Hong Kong Crystal with Swarovski Identification Label and Designer Inscription

 

This rare Swarovski crystal is not necessarily hard to find, despite the limited number of production.  Crystal Exchange America presently has 4 listed, ranging in price from $1700 – $2100.  One or two can generally be found in the online auctions near $1200 – $1500.
Illusion looking at Swarovski Hong Kong Crystal through the bottom facet

My advice to Swarovski collectors is to purchase the Swarovski crystal figurines that you really like …ones that tug at your heart.  One never knows what is going to happen in the economy or how well a figurine may sell to make it more desirable or sell for a much higher price in the future.  If this were predictable, we would all be making good investments in crystal and in other market areas.

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Black Panther NLE 2010 has new Crystal Cat Competition

The Black Panther, Swarovski NLE 2010, sold out very quickly when it was released for online purchasing in April last year. With a retail price tag of $960, the Swarovski Black Panther (jet was the official color) was one of the most affordable NLE issues that was produced by the crystal giant.  And a maximum production quantity of only 500 figurines, this was another nice feature that made this black cat quite desirable.  Shortly after the sell-out date, the Swarovski Black Panther sky-rocketed to its current secondary market price of $2500-$3000 USD.

 

Swarovski Black Panther, NLW 2010

All this being said, the Swarovski Black Panther may have some competition in the very near future.  The crystal brand is releasing another colored panther…the Swarovski Moroda Panther.  The Swarovski system number is 1096051.  Looking at the product picture at the Swarovski web site, you may very well think that this newest panther is brown, which would indeed make it a bit different from the original Black Panther.

Swarovski Moroda Panther, 2011

However, if you look at another new release, the Swarovski French Angelfish, this release has a lot of ‘moroda’ colored crystal accents, and the official Swarovski product description for the fish states that Moroda is black.  BLACK?  BLACK!

Well, of course any color differentiation cannot be done until a collector has both Swarovski Panther figurines side by side.  But at the moment, I am feeling uneasy about this new release.  My NLE Swarovski Black Panther has gone up in value…something that cannot be said very often these days.  If this new cat, the Moroda Panther, is a shade of black, history indicates that the (jet) Black Panther values will drop as many collectors will likely settle for purchasing the Moroda Panther for a fraction of the price.

I have seen this new-similar-design approach in the past, and it nearly always brings down the value of the original design as buyers will simply not pay higher prices for retired figurines when Swarovski has other cheaper, suitable alternatives.  Examples of this phenomenon include: Swarovski SCS Dragon (DO1X971) and Dragon (7550 000 005), Swarovski SCS Turtledoves (DO1X891) and Turtledoves (7621 000 011), Swarovski SCS Dolphins (DO1X901) and Dolphin (7644 000 001).  (and there are other look-alike figurines, these are only a few).  All the Swarovski SCS crystal figurines dropped hundreds of dollars, 30% – 50%, depending on the figurine.  While the economy certainly contributes to the decline in value of the secondary market in general, I do believe that for these figurines, it was precipitated by the release of the similar-looking figurines which, by the way, are all still current on the Swarovski web site.  I foresee history repeating itself…good for the company with more sales of a newly-released panther, no-so-good for collectors who have valuable retired Swarovski figurines, in this case, the beautiful (jet) Black Panther.

If you like the Swarovski Panther design, but prefer clear crystal figurines, the crystal brand does offer the figurine in clear crystal, but it is retiring very soon (2011).  The clear cat has a system number of 874 337.  The Swarovski designer credited for the elegant design is Heinz Tabertshofer.  All the Swarovski Panther figurines come in a firm blue box, a cleaning cloth, and gloves.  All retail(ed) for $960.

If you are a feline fanatic, you may be interested to know that there are other Swarovski crystal wild cat figurines:  Swarovski Leopard, Swarovski Lion, Swarovski Golden Shadow Lion, and Swarovski Tiger.  Most of these can be found at the Crystal Exchange America web site:  http://www.crystalexchange.com/ .

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America

Swarovski Limited Edition Ugg Boots, NLE with Crystal Embellishments

Swarovski crystal fanatics and Ugg fanatics, get ready for your Swarovski Limited Edition Ugg Boots!  These are Ugg boots, embellished with Swarovski crystals for several major markets.  The Ugg boot decorations celebrate some famous cities/regions (most of which are in the USA):  London, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, and Washington DC.  According to the articles I read, the limited edition Swarovski emblazoned boots retail in the $800 – $900 price range!  And the boots are only available in Ugg stores of the celebrated cities.

Ugg Boots embellished with Swarovski crystal stones

The New York City grey boots commemorate the New York skyline with the Empire State building in Swarovski stones.  The United Kingdom version shows a crown in Swarovski crystals.  There is a Union Jack version as well for the United Kingdom, that appears to be decorated with clear and red Swarovski crystal stones.  The Miami, Florida Ugg boots are white, decorated with numerous colors.  Pink flamingos and palm trees are obvious icons for these boots.  The Los Angeles, California Ugg boots are black.  The design appears to focus on the nightlife of the city and nearby Hollywood, featuring red and clear Swarovski stones.  The Washington DC / Georgetown Ugg boots are naturally decorated with traditional red, white, and blue Swarovski stones, with our grand flag design: stars and stripes forever.  The flag is on a grey-colored Ugg boot.  The Las Vegas, Nevada Ugg boots appear to be dark brown and symbolic of the gambling in the city.  Aces, poker chips, and dice are incorporated into this city design.

One site I read indicated that there were 100 pairs created for each city, and that each pair was numbered to ensure authenticity.  I supposed that makes them Swarovski NLE!  I did not find any mention of the release date. There is a theory that the team effort between Ugg and Swarovski will extend to other cities, as if these cities are test-market areas.

I like my Ugg boots and slippers are very comfy.  However, I cannot see myself spending a small fortune on footwear embellished with crystal unless I plan to display them right next to my other Limited Edition Swarovski figurines in the cabinet!

Swarovski Article posted by Angie / Crystal Exchange America