 When I did a post on ridiculous uses of diamonds in 2008, reader Miss Ruby's comment inspired me to do one on uses of Swarovski crystals, starting with the crystal stopper on a luxury wine barrel. The crystals, which are relatively inexpensive and come in a multitude of colors and shapes, lend themselves to design more readily than diamonds. Watches, phone cases and perfume bottles are the among the usual uses for these sparkling doodads but just about any thing can be bedazzled as we'll see in the gallery below. Will these new restrained times bring about an end to covering available surfaces with twinkly bits in 2009?
Zanotti's Christmas Shoe
One man's restraint is a another man's excess. Case in point the new limited edition shoe design from Guiseppe Zanotti. Vogue UK refers to the shoe as being "stripped back to basics." I suppose that's true if you consider a 1.5-inch chrome platform a 5.5-inch heel and and an elaborate foot harness decorated with studs and Swarovski crystals basic. These shoes certainly would pep up last year's little black dress for holiday parties. The shoes sell for £890.
Swarovski Handbag
Swarovski's elegant holiday evening bag is a shoulder-held bag in black eelskin set with jet crystals. The shoulder strap is removable and the closure is decorated with shiny Jet crystal pavé. It sells for $3,400.
Sparkly Water
We've covered blinged up water before and the latest addition to the collection is Fillico Beverly Hills. Coming out of Japan, the $100 bottles of water are made of frosted glass with gold paint and Swarovski crystal accents -- and for about double the price you can add gold wings and/or a gold or silver crown to the bottle (shown is a set of "King and Queen"). Not sure why they put "Beverly Hills" in the name, though, since the water is from a spring in Kobe and as of now it is mostly being distributed at the Ritz Carlton in Tokyo.
Blinged-Out Fiat
Luxury cars are usually about a fast engine, a smooth ride, and extra features for comfort and convenience, but this luxury vehicle is all about the bling. It's a Fiat 500 Pepita and it's all decked out with a 24k gold paint job, Swarovski crystal studded gear shift, hand brake, and foot pedals, cashmere floor mats (cashmere on the floor?!), and gold painted alloy wheels. Plus you get a choice of seats made of crocodile, snake, shark, skate or lizard leather and an assortment of precious gems to add to the interior. €60,000
Disney Swarovski MP3 Player
Who wants a plain old Mickey-shaped mp3 player when you can have one all decked out with ribbons and Swarovski crystals? The Mplayer Swarovski is the same Mplayer it always was on the inside (1 GB, up to 9 hours of play time), but the outside is now all jazzed up with a variety of different colors, themes, and accessories (this one is called "Little Girl"). Available in limited edition of 500 they're now available in Japan for about $137-$150 each (the standard versions sell for around $50).
Swarovski Crystal Contact Lenses
They might look pretty in photographs, and maybe photographers will use them for surreal and especially artistic shots, but what regular person in their right mind would wear these contact lenses with Swarovski crystals embedded inside? The sparkly lenses were created as part of a Swarovski competition that had over 4000 entries from 92 countries. These lenses won first place, which makes me wonder what did the 2nd and 3rd place winners look like?
Swarovski Sinks
Normally I think Swarovski jewels encrusted onto household appliances look tacky and ridiculous, so I'm a little surprised to hear myself saying that the Swarovski Jewels Sink collection from Antologia is actually pretty nice. Simple, tasteful, and artistic, the basic white and black sinks aren't overrun with big sparkling jewels so much as they're accented and enhanced by them. Each piece is put together by hand with Signity jewels.
Swarovski and Samsonite
This limited edition Swarovski Crystal Trunk by Samsonite Black Label insures you will never confuse your luggage with someone else's basic black suitcase.
Crystal Tweezers
Personally I think tweezers aren't realy display items but if you are of a different mindset there are always these Limited Swarovski Edition Slant Tweezers from RonRobinson. Shown here in Devine White, the tweezers are covered almost completely with Swarovski crystals and come with a coordinated leather case. $100
Crystal-Covered Lexus
Talk about a great way to ruin a beautiful car — paste pink Swarovski crystals on every visible surface. More than 300,000 crystals cover the car's hood, trunk, license plate, and even wheel rims, forming roses, hearts, ribbons, and lots of general over-the-top girliness to symbolize the beauty of marriage. Even the interior features crystals next to the shift knob and on front and backseat throw pillows (what?). Designed by Zheng Zhiren the car is currently on display in Taiwan and is apparently a big hit. It's valued at approximately $306,000.
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