Northern Lights

I'm fascinated by the beauty and absolute magic of the Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights.  The Northern Lights are natural light displays that occur primarily in the polar regions.  I've never witnessed them personally (yet), but have always been completely amazed by the magnificent array of colors these lights display.   

And did you know that Aurora Borealis is also affiliated with crystals?  I've always been drawn to stones that shimmer with a myriad of colors.   It wasn't until I started working more closely with vintage jewelry that I researched and discovered that these colorful stones are referred to as "AB" stones.  Aurora Borealis, or "AB" is a coating of thin layers of metal to enhance reflective color quality and brilliance of a stone.  This iridescent coating was actually named after the Northern Lights. The process of making AB coating on crystal was in experimental phases in the early 1950's by the Swarovski Company.  The process progressed to some success in 1953, but not until 1955 did Manfred Swarovski perfect the glorious AB stone!  He worked closely with Christian Dior, and they were the first to have access to the "rainbow" stone.  

I utilize AB stones in many of my jewelry designs and am always on the lookout for vintage AB brooches, earrings, etc.  Here's a sweet vintage bracelet I acquired that has small AB stones in its design.  The lovely bird and butterfly connectors, along with the sparkling stones,  made it a piece I simply could not resist. 

(I think I will leave this bracelet exactly as it is...)