500 Lb. Swarovski Star In Rockefeller Center

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  For the tenth consecutive year, a gigantic Swarovski crystal star tops the Christmas tree in New York City's Rockefeller Center.  The star, which was revealed on Nov. 14, is composed of 25,000 crystals with 1 million facets, measuring 9.5 feet in diameter and 1.5 feet deep. Weighing 500 pounds—including 300 pounds of crystal panels—the ornament will sit atop the 76-foot high, 47-foot wide, 12-ton Norway Spruce in Rockefeller Center for the 2013 holiday season.

Made from the same point-mounted, shatterproof safety glass used in New York City’s skyscrapers, crystals are fastened to the inner sides of the glass in a scale-like pattern to create luminous brilliance. The star will be illuminated by 720 energy-efficient LED bulbs on 3,000 feet of wire.  A team of nine artisans spent 1,200 hours installing, programming and testing the Star to ensure the effects would withstand the challenging winter weather conditions sitting 76-feet above Rockefeller Plaza.

The star was raised to the top of the tree on November 14th.  The 81st Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Wednesday December 4th.