Sparkle with Swarovski's Alice in Wonderland-inspired range of jewellery

Through the looking glass...

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland has had quite an effect on the fashion world and whether it’s dainty teapot necklaces or card print stockings we love it. From cosmetics brands like Urban Decay and OPI, to high fashion with Stella McCartney and even food and drink from Ladurée and Revolution Tea, the world is going as mad as a hatter for Alice. But the most striking pieces have to be the various jewellery lines emerging, particularly the stunning range from Swarovski crystals.

Swarovski, founded in Austria in 1895, has been providing crystals for both the fashion and film industries since the early 1900s – starting with the British Royal family. Whether replicating a piece of diamond jewellery, using them on-screen or on the catwalk, Swarovski can create a crystal in almost any size or shape. Designers like Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli used crystals to challenge the boundaries of the fashion industry, fulfilling Daniel Swarovski’s dream of creating “a diamond that every woman could afford.”

Last year’s musical extravaganza Nine featured over one million Swarovski crystals, used in the Crystallized method by award-winning costume designer, Colleen Atwood, who won an Oscar for best costume design on Chicago – also with director Rob Marshall. And Colleen is well known for her fantastic gothic costumes for director Tim Burton, who she has teamed up with once again to create the amazing clothing for 3D adventure Alice in Wonderland. But it’s not just crystals for clothing that Swarovski do so well, 2004’s The Phantom of the Opera featured a £730,000 chandelier consisting of 20,000 Swarovski crystals.

To create the range Swarovski say they "worked very closely with Disney on the design of the jewellery pieces to make sure that they reflect the mood and style of the film. The collection brings different aspects of the film to life – its gothic style as well as the lighthearted tone of the story and its fascinating characters.” And the pieces definitely reflect the characters with the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) and many others all inspiring beautiful pieces.

The Cheshire Cat pendant is by far our favourite, using multicoloured crystals and dark ruthenium plating to evoke the films gothic style. And the mischievous cats’ tail is attached to the closure of the pendant, a subtle but important detail for feline fans. The matching Mad Hatter necklace and bracelet feature the tools of the trade, spools of thread and scissors, with delicate chains for an on-trend vintage look. The Red Queen range, of which we could only pick two pieces, is genuinely beautiful, combining red and black crystal card suit symbols and dangling chains to create extremely elegant earrings, rings and necklaces.

Also in the collection are the Flower Garden necklace, pendant and ring which come in pastel lilac and greens perfect for spring. The lovely statement necklace hangs on a silk satin double cord and uses crystals and coloured epoxy to really stand out. There’s also a set of online exclusive necklaces inspired by the tea party – featuring cupcakes, teacups and even a doughnut with sprinkles. Whether you want something simple and delicate or bright and bold, Swarovski has created the perfect range of Alice-inspired jewellery to complement your spring/summer wardrobe.