Pop culture to palaces: 120 years of Swarovski crystal
This story originally aired on June 22, 2015.
When Hollywood needed a diamond during the golden age of movie making, it placed a call to the Austrian Alps, to a company called Swarovski -- not for a diamond, but for a cut crystal that looked like a diamond.
The 120-year-old, multi-billion dollar enterprise was founded to give everyday people the look of movie stars with its cut glass, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett.
The ruby slippers in "Wizard of Oz" have no rubies, just as the diamond tiara Audrey Hepburn wore in "Breakfast at Tiffany's had no diamonds at all.
The same is true of Michael Jackson's iconic glove, a prototype for Elton John's crown and Marilyn Monroe's dress the night she serenaded President Kennedy.
Daniel Swarovski founded his crystal company in the late 19th century with the idea of bringing the diamond-studded look of royalty to the commoner by selling them cut glass instead.
"He created the affordable diamond. And yes, it is an illusion of a diamond, but a diamond is nothing but a material that captures the light and refracts it," Swarovski's great-great-granddaughter Nadja said.
Over 120 years, Swarovski has permeated pop culture, atop the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, on the chandeliers at the Metropolitan Opera House and the glittery curtain at the Oscars.
Rihanna's see-through crystal dress was shimmering with Swarovski crystals when she accepted a 2014 fashion icon award.
The company's headquarters sits at the base of the Austrian Alps in Wattens. Access to the factory floor is strictly limited; no strangers and no competitors are allowed in.
"We live in a competitive world and we try to protect what is important for us, but it's not rocket science," The founder's great-great grandnephew, Marcus Swarovski said.
When cut a certain way, "sand, water and fire," as Marcus called it, can look like a glowing flower. And what looks like the world's biggest diamond is held in the Chambers of Wonder.
Giant crystal chandeliers enchant tourists and dark hallways lead to crystal replicas of the Taj Mahal and Empire State Building.
Artist Sir Richard Fuller designed the Crystal Dome to look and feel like the inside of a crystal. Public reaction varies from exhilaration to depression.
"It's kind of disconcerting, displacing," one person said.
Outside, a shimmering pool reflects a crystal cloud; 800,000 crystals suspended in the air glitter with each shifting ray of sun, framed by blue skies and alpine majesty.
Tourists come in droves to what is now Austria's second most popular attraction.
The Swarovskis see crystals as actors in their own right: movie makers, entertainers, dress-designers direct them to create dreams, illusions and memories.
"Crystal was truly a protagonist for that dress," Marcus said. "It was a little bit the same kind of spirit which we've seen when Marilyn Monroe was singing 'Happy birthday' for John F. Kennedy. To be a part of such important pop culture moments, it's something that makes us really, really proud."