2014 New Silk Road Model Contest held in Beijing

Crystal-clear vision of jewelry designers

Now, Swarovski is expanding in China at a rate of 25-30 stores a year. It already has stores in most tier-one and tier-two cities, and plans further growth. It has 245 stores in China covering 71 cities. For the past two years, revenue from the China market has accounted for 10 percent of the company's total revenue.

"The Chinese market appreciates Swarovski crystal because we're a European brand, with European craftsmanship," Swarovski says.

She adds that the company's special efforts to design jewelry pieces targeting Chinese consumers have also helped with sales. The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are a commonly used theme, and Swarovski has noticed an increase in sales of particular animals during the year devoted to them in the Chinese calendar.

Many Swarovski pieces targeting Chinese consumers are designed by young Chinese designers, including Masha Ma, Wang Peiyi and Ye Mingze.

Ye, for example, has designed the famous collection Flower and Seed of Love for Atelier Swarovski, which is a high-end product range for the brand. The design is built around the pattern of a six-petal symmetrical flower consisting of many smaller triangular patterns, which amazes viewers with its attention to detail.