A Word of History

The history of glass-making in northern Bohemia can be traced back to the 14th century. At the turn of the 18th century Jablonec nad Nisou area saw the development of glass-cutting, creating successful imitations of genuine precious stones such as diamond, ruby, topaz, sapphire and amethyst.

Glass was originally cut by hand, a physically demanding task; however, the introduction of more accurate electric machines gradually replaced this technique. With age-old glass-making traditions and new technologies the northern Bohemian region became the cradle of machine cutting and polishing. A number of glass-cutting plants were established in and around Jablonec nad Nisou in the early 20th century. 

Taking advantage of the technologies and experience of these manufacturers, Preciosa was founded in 1948 and has since then developed into a world-class company specialising in the manufacture and export of machine cut and polished glass stones and other glass components for fashion jewellery. The company has been at the forefront of cutting and polishing techniques for 55 years and is now at the peak of it’s technological development.

A wide range of glass stones by Preciosa

Preciosa’s glass fashion jewellery stones include, first and foremost, machine cut and polished CHATONS, forming the bulk of the company’s output and export. These brilliant stones are manufactured in a wide range of sizes and colours.

ut FANCY STONES are available in a variety of shapes with differing facets and styles of cut. CHATON ROSES are essentially chatons with flat backs, and so can be used either in fashion jewellery or pressed onto fabrics and dresses as HOT-FIX STONES. BEADS, DROPS, BALLS and other products complete the broad spectrum of machine cut stones made by Preciosa.

Inspired by the Bohemian glass-making legacy

The hard work of generations of Preciosa workers striving to achieve the perfect balance between traditional, age-old hand techniques and modern, sophisticated technologies has been crowned with a sparkling cut crystal stone – the most significant achievement in the history of Preciosa.