Marvel at Swarovski Crystal Worlds

From an early age, Daniel Swarovski was immersed in the world of crystal: he was born in Bohemia (which was Austrian at the time), one of the most important glass and crystal manufacturing centres in Europe at the time. His father cut crystal in a factory, and the future jeweller enjoyed watching him work for hours on end, learning the craft from him.

One day, he had a revolutionary idea: while visiting the first international electricity exhibition in Vienna, he decided to draw inspiration from the techniques of Siemens and Edison, in order to design a machine capable of cutting and polishing crystal to perfection. Finalised 9 years later, his invention revolutionised the world of crystal and laid the foundations for a long-lasting company.

When Daniel Swarovski (founder of the Swarovski crystal dynasty) moved from Georgenthal in Bohemia to Wattens in 1895, he had a strategy in mind. The small town in the Tyrol was an ideal location for the company: the presence of the Alps provided sufficient water to run the machines, which were powered by hydraulic energy.

What's more, it was a village set back from the competition, which limited the risk of counterfeiters. In addition, good trade routes led to Paris, the fashion capital, where crystal jewellery was highly prized.

As soon as you arrive at the museum, you'll catch a glimpse of the centrepiece created by André Heller. The huge green giant's head that forms the entrance to the building is unmissable from afar, standing 17 metres high. A continuous stream of water flows from its mouth, giving it the appearance of a gargoyle or a grotesque figure from an Italian garden.

In winter, the head is completely frozen, which makes it all the more mysterious. Artist André Heller was inspired by a fairytale to create this fantastic figure.

According to the legend, a giant explores the world in search of knowledge, and becomes its guardian. He must then protect 12 chambers containing wonders and secrets of all kinds. These chambers correspond to the 12 rooms of the museum that were originally created (6 more were later added to the building).

The blue hall opens the ball of wonders at the beginning of the visit. It features sloping walls painted in the colour "International Klein Blue", which was invented by the artist Yves Klein. This monochrome room is reminiscent of a cave. Masterpieces such as Salvador Dalí's "The Persistence of Time", Niki de Saint Phalle's "Nana au cristal" and Andy Warhol's "Gems" bear witness to the artists' fascination with crystal.

In the next room, called "Eternal Winter Magic and permanent Snowfall", you will see a formidable tree covered in crystal and ice, which has been installed in a very cold room (-10° Celsius). Called the "Silent Light Crystal Tree", the work was created in an artistic collaboration between Tord Boontje and Alexander McQueen, who wanted to express the fragility of our ecosystem.

If the tree reminds you of a Christmas tree, you'll be even more immersed in the 'snow kingdom' with the Crystal Dome, which looks like an enchanted palace. The dome is an architectural marvel based on the concept of 'geodesy', a scientific discipline devoted to the geographical measurement and representation of the Earth. The 595 mirrors installed in the dome give an impression of depth: you'd swear you were inside a diamond - it's quite a psychedelic experience!

Among the other highlights of the museum (for it would be impossible to list all the wonders of the world of giants) is the 'Mourning Chandelier'. A gigantic, finely-worked chandelier sits in a black room filled with mirrors that reflect the diamond shards everywhere, giving the impression of an endless space.

There's also the Eden Chamber of Wonder, a sort of phantasmagorical crystal forest with sound effects.

In "The Art of Performance" room, you will discover numerous objects and costumes designed with Swarovski that once belonged to the biggest Hollywood stars. The historic exhibition was created by renowned costume designer Michael Schmidt in collaboration with award-winning set designer Derek McLane.

Schmidt, who had great difficulty in selecting the pieces for the exhibition, said: "As a creative person, using Swarovski crystal gives you endless possibilities to express yourself. When you think of all the defining moments in cultural history that Swarovski has been a part of, it's truly incredible. From Michael Jackson's glove, to Simone Biles' outfit when she won all her gold medals... these moments are all covered in Swarovski crystal".

This sentence sums up the situation pretty well, since an incredible number of stars have worn the famous jewels. You can see the original outfits worn by Elton John, Cher and Dita von Teese, and even Marilyn Monroe's outfit that seduced John F. Kennedy.

Remember: dressed in a skin-tight chiffon dress covered in thousands of sparkling crystals, she sang her famous birthday serenade for the American president.