A crystal garland looks easy from the floor. Stones in a line, hanging in a curve. Up close it is a different job. Hundreds of pieces, each held at a fixed distance, each carrying weight. One millimetre too much between two crystals and you see it from across the room.
This is how we make them in our workshop in Western Ukraine.
The hands
Most of our garlands are made by one person. Maria has worked with us for more than ten years and was trained in house by our art designer Tetiana. A year ago Maria’s son joined the team. We take that as a compliment to the atmosphere in the workshop.
A finished garland is heavy. So it is made on a table covered with jewelry paper, which keeps the crystals from scratching. Gloves stay on the whole time. Fingerprints on crystal and brass are the enemy.
Our crystals come from Scholer Crystal Austria. We have worked together for many years. Austrian crystal has a long history, and we like being a small part of it.
The pieces arrive already drilled, as is standard in the industry. For true bespoke chandeliers we sometimes order special shapes and forms.
Scholer checks quality carefully. Still, now and then a crystal has a slight imperfection. Our craftspeople do not throw these away. They go into a separate container. We are collecting them for creative projects, and one is already planned: an art project with young artists. More on that soon.
We use brass only. It lasts longer, and crystals are heavy enough that the fastening matters. After years of trial and error we dropped several types and now work with four: classic clips in polished brass or nickel-plated brass, from 9 to 18 mm, decorated clips in the same finishes, pins, and hand-made binding with thin, flexible brass wire.
Clips go into the hole of the crystal and are closed by fingers or a special tool, depending on size. Binding is slower. The wire is cut to an exact length, calculated from the width of the crystals and the distance we want between them. Special nippers lead it through the holes, and circular motions fix it. The leftover is cut off. The shorter the leftover, the better the hand. For a craftsperson, that offcut tells the whole story.
Why we prefer wire
Wire is the original way to make a garland. It also looks more organic and lighter. Clips add a little weight and show more, which suits some models well, for example Secession or Baroque styles. Our Swedish chandeliers are made only with wire. It is the rule of the traditional Nordic chandelier, and we stay with it.
The hardest part: the gap
Keeping the distance between crystals even is the hardest part of the work. Beginners show it fast. Wire garlands get uneven gaps. Clip garlands get clips closed to different depths. Neither passes our quality and visual control. It takes time to master.
Fitted like a dress
At the engineering stage we calculate roughly how many crystals a garland needs. Roughly is the word. You never know exactly until the work is in your hands. So we go back to the sketches, make the first garland and fit it on the chandelier, as in fashion. Once the dress sits perfectly on the model, we make the rest of the garlands for that part.
Time depends on the model. Binding takes much longer than clips. For our biggest chandeliers, the garlands alone took more than a month of full-time concentration.
Planning a project? We’re here to help with bespoke lighting solutions.
If you are in Vienna, stop by our showroom. We’ll be glad to discuss your ideas over a good coffee.
Contact: info@zavadski.biz