Are Swarovski crystals losing their shine?
There may or may not be a tactical reason why the tennis player Maria Sharapova will be wearing a dress studded with 600 Swarovski crystals when she competes in the US Open this week (perhaps the sun bouncing off them will blind her opponent), but it underlines the ubiquity of this once exclusive brand. The Austrian company Swarovski has turned glitter into gold (it has an annual turnover of more than £1.5bn). Its crystals are not precious stones but lead glass cut by hand or machine. Yet they are now so popular that the firm even has its own theme park, Kristallwelten, in the Austrian Tyrol. The entrance to this grotto is watched over by a giant face with huge creepy eyes that glitter with crystals. Inside, there are bizarre installations covered in more crystals – a Dali-style melting clock and a giant pyramid. Sadly, I visited before the installation of a gigantic accordion, which squeezes out Alpine music. These people would appear to be bonkers. Except they’re not. The family comp
