2016-03-22 Tue

In 2004, Austria issued the world’s first crystal-coated stamps. The rare postage stamps, created by Swarovski crystal producers, cost 7.50 Euros and were produced in conjunction with the Austrian postal service.

The stamp was made out of ordinary paper and the crystals were stuck on with specially created glue. The producers have found a way to make the crystal-coated stamp withstand rough treatment in automated postal sorting machines. The surface of real glass crystal showed the Swarovski swan motif.

The sparkling stamps are available with a choice of motif: the trademark Swarovski Swan or a cut crystal. A total of 9.6 million crystals has been used in the series.