2012 Swarovski Star Unveiled For World Famous Rockefeller Center® Christmas Tree

NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the 2012 Swarovski Star that will sit atop the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was revealed. This is the ninth year a Swarovski Star shines on the world famous tree. Swarovski is the leading designer and producer of fashion jewelry and crystal decor objects.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121120/NY17064 )

The 2012 Swarovski Star is comprised of 25,000 crystals, with 1,000,000 facets, and it measures 9 ½ feet in diameter and 1 ½ feet deep. The Star weighs 550 pounds, including 300 pounds of crystal panels, and is composed of six outer rays and six smaller inner rays.

The main surfaces of the rays are made of point-mounted safety glass which is the same shatter-proof glass that adorns the facades of New York City buildings.  The crystals are affixed to the inner sides of the glass in a tight, scale-like pattern to ensure maximum brilliance.

A team of nine artisans spent 1,200 hours installing, programming and testing the Star to ensure the effects would withstand the challenging winter weather conditions 80-feet above Rockefeller Plaza.  A replica of the Swarovski Star will also be on display in Rockefeller Center to allow visitors the opportunity to get a closer view of the detailing and craftsmanship.

"We are proud to once again celebrate the holiday season at Rockefeller Center," said Wayne Page, senior vice president of Swarovski North America Limited's Consumer Goods Business. "The star exemplifies the Swarovski tradition of innovation and creativity."

After the reveal, the Star was raised atop the 80-foot-high, 50-foot wide, 10-ton Norway Spruce in Rockefeller Center, where it will sit for the remainder of the 2012 holiday season. 

Swarovski will offer a selection of holiday jewelry and ornaments on sale at the Swarovski holiday kiosk at Rockefeller Center; at Swarovski boutiques nationwide and online at www.Swarovski.com. The collection includes stylish star-themed crystal jewelry and an Annual Edition Ornament inspired by the design of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Star.

The 80^th Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, November 28^th , from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. The two-hour ceremony will be televised live, locally on WNBC-TV from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. and nationally on NBC from 8 p.m.-9 p.m.

Rockefeller Center officially began the Tree Lighting Ceremony in 1933, when a Christmas tree was erected in front of the then-RCA Building and covered with 700 lights.  Christmas trees in Rockefeller Center have ranged from 50-foot Pines to 100-foot Norway Spruces and are viewed by millions of spectators during the holiday season.

Spectators can view the lit tree each day from 5:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.; all day (24 hours) on Christmas; and from 5:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The last day to view the tree is January 7, 2013.

ABOUT SWAROVSKI NORTH AMERICA
In 1895, Daniel Swarovski, a Bohemian inventor and visionary, moved to the village of Wattens, Tyrol in Austria, with his newly-invented machine for cutting and polishing crystal jewelry stones. From this beginning that revolutionized the fashion world, Swarovski has grown to be the world's leading producer of precision-cut crystal for fashion, jewelry and more recently lighting, architecture and interiors. Today, the company, still family-owned and run by 4th and 5th generation family members, has a global reach with some 23,000 employees, a presence in over 120 countries and a turnover in 2010 of 2.06 billion Euros. Swarovski comprises two major businesses, one producing and selling loose elements to the industry and the other creating design-driven finished products. Swarovski crystals have become an essential ingredient of international design. Since 1965 the company has also catered to the fine jewelry industry with precision-cut genuine and created gemstones. Showing the creativity that lies at the heart of the company, Swarovski's own brand lines of accessories, jewelry and home decor items are sold through more than 1,900 retail outlets worldwide. The Swarovski Crystal Society has close to 325,000 members across the world, keen collectors of the celebrated crystal figurines. And in Wattens, Swarovski Kristallwelten, the multi-media crystal museum, was opened in 1995 as a celebration of Swarovski's universe of innovation and inspiration.

ABOUT TISHMAN SPEYER
Tishman Speyer is the co-owner and manager of Rockefeller Center, the world-famous real estate, shopping and dining complex in the heart of midtown Manhattan.  Rockefeller Center is the site of numerous public exhibits and events, including large-scale installations of public art by world-renowned artists including Takashi Murakami, Jeff Koons and Jonathan Borofsky. Tishman Speyer has earned a worldwide reputation for innovative utilization of public art in its signature commercial properties, which include Rockefeller Center and Chrysler Center.  Tishman Speyer is committed to the preservation and restoration of Rockefeller Center and the historic Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center, one of New York's top attractions.  Each day an estimated 350,000 people visit the Rockefeller Plaza complex, which during the holidays is home to the most famous Christmas Tree in the world. 

SOURCE Swarovski North America