Buying Guide, How to

Anna-Karin Karlsson materials and care: titanium, acetate, real gold, stones and Zeiss lenses

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Buying Guide, How to

Anna-Karin Karlsson materials and care: titanium, acetate, real gold, stones and Zeiss lenses

Posted by author-avatar

What Anna-Karin Karlsson frames are made of, where each material is made, and how to keep them. The house states its materials on every product page and Coveti carries them into the composition line of each listing, so this page is a reference rather than a guess: titanium and acetate, real gold, crystals and stones, Zeiss lenses, and the care rules the house itself publishes, with the one about perfume that most people break.

“Avoid paper towels, abrasive materials, solvents, alcohol, perfumes, hairspray, sunscreen, or other acidic or chemical-based products, as they may cause the metal finish to oxidize over time,” the house advises on its care page.

Key facts

  • Japanese titanium: the Claw family, Le Chap, Le Boss, Miss Rosell, Crystal Boo, Crystal Mirage, Crystal Meringue, Crystal Nest, Full Moon, Logo Dude, Too Handsome and La Vie en Rose; made in Japan (55 current frames)
  • Italian acetate and stainless steel: Rose et le Rêve, Rose et la Roue, Beaming Sky, Starry Sky, Billion $ Boo, Magic You, White Moon, Strawberry Moon, Chain Nest, Lucky Love, Shade of Shelly and Shade of Sirens; made in Italy (39)
  • Plating: real 24K gold, white gold and rose gold, applied by hand
  • Stones: Swarovski and Preciosa crystals, cubic zirconia, emeralds, pink and black sapphires, real diamonds on the Diamond Editions, all set by hand
  • Lenses: Zeiss sun lenses, azure anti-reflective back coating, AKK logo engraved on the left lens, certified UV protection
  • Care: microfibre cloth, mild soap and lukewarm water; no perfume, hairspray, sunscreen, solvents, alcohol; store in the case; two-year limited warranty

Titanium, from Japan

Half the weight of steel and stronger, titanium is the material of the house’s lightest frames and its most sculptural: the claw temple is cast from a mould hand-carved by one of Japan’s master eyewear makers and hollowed so that a whole Claw Voyage weighs 35 g. The Le Chap Sun Sunglasses in Black is the reference. Titanium does not corrode and does not fatigue, which is why a used pair is worth buying, and it takes the gold plating cleanly.

Acetate and stainless steel, from Italy

The thick, coloured frames, the panthers, the Moons, the Shelly and the Sirens, are cut from cellulose acetate blocks and polished by hand in Italy, on stainless steel temples and bridges plated in gold. The Strawberry Moon Sunglasses in Caramel is the reference. Acetate takes colour in depth, which is where the jade, caramel, turquoise and pearl colourways come from, and the Shade of Shelly is carved from a slab so thick it weighs 86 g.

The gold

The house states real 24K gold, white gold and rose gold plating on every metal frame, applied by hand. Real plating is a thin layer of gold bonded to the titanium, and it wears the way jewellery wears: it does not chip, but it can be oxidised by chemicals, which is the reason for the care rule below.

The stones

The crystal frames carry Swarovski crystals (Beaming Sky, Crystal Mirage, Crystal Boo, Crystal Meringue, Crystal Nest, Billion $ Boo, Le Boss) and Preciosa crystals (Full Moon); the panther frames and the Starry Sky and Magic You carry cubic zirconia; the Lion and Lioness have eyes of emerald and pink and black sapphire; the Diamond Editions carry real diamonds. All are set by hand in cast settings. The Beaming Sky Sunglasses in Amber and the Rose et la Roue Sun Sunglasses in Black Crystal show the two most common.

The lenses

Every pair carries Zeiss sun lenses with an azure anti-reflective coating on the back, which stops the wearer seeing the reflection of their own eye, and the AKK logo engraved on the left lens. The house states certified protection against solar UV radiation and adds that the lenses are not for looking directly at the sun; most tints are suitable for daytime driving, and the category 4 lenses, such as the Rouge lens on the Claw Plume, are not. Every frame takes prescription lenses through an optician.

Care, in the house’s own words

Clean with the microfibre cloth supplied and, if needed, mild soap and lukewarm water. Keep paper towels, abrasive materials, solvents, alcohol, perfume, hairspray, sunscreen and any acidic product away from the frame, because they oxidise the plated finish. Store the frame in its case when it is not being worn. Put the sunglasses on last, after perfume and hairspray, and take them off before swimming. The house gives a two-year limited warranty on manufacturing defects for pairs bought from its store.

Frequently asked questions

What are Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses made of?

Japanese titanium for the Claw family and the other metal frames, Italian acetate and stainless steel for the coloured frames, real 24K, white and rose gold plating, hand-set Swarovski and Preciosa crystals, zirconia, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds, and Zeiss lenses.

Is the gold on Anna-Karin Karlsson frames real?

Yes. The house states real 24K gold, white gold and rose gold plating applied by hand on every metal frame.

Are the crystals Swarovski?

On most crystal frames, yes; the Full Moon uses Preciosa crystals, the panther frames and the Starry Sky use cubic zirconia, and the Diamond Editions use real diamonds.

How do I clean Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses?

With the microfibre cloth supplied and, if needed, mild soap and lukewarm water. Never solvents, alcohol, perfume, hairspray and sunscreen, which oxidise the gold.

Can I swim in Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses?

No. The house states they are not intended for swimming and that chemicals oxidise the plating. Take them off before the water.

Do the lenses protect against UV?

Yes, certified UV protection on the Zeiss lenses; they are not for looking directly at the sun, and category 4 tints are not for driving.

Read next

Titanium frames Acetate frames Crystal frames The review

More Anna-Karin Karlsson guides

Every Anna-Karin Karlsson page by Coveti’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Is it a luxury brand?, How to style, Brands like Anna-Karin Karlsson, The edit, Who is Anna-Karin Karlsson?, History timeline, Price guide, Where to buy, Sale, Review, Real vs fake and dupes, Glossary, Who wears it, vs Schiaparelli, Size and fit guide, Prescription lenses, Face shape guide, New arrivals 2026, Men’s sunglasses, The Claw family, The panther frames, Crystal frames, Lion and Lioness, Diamond and limited editions, Cat-eye, Round, Aviators and pilots, Oversized, Rimless, Acetate, Titanium, Gold, Black, Tortoise and caramel, Pink and red, Green and purple.

Sources and method

Checked on 19 September 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Coveti. Product facts, the materials, stones, plating, lens supplier, dimensions, weights and country of manufacture, are the brand’s own product-page text; counts, prices and price ranges are Coveti’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the designer’s biography and the wearers come from the brand’s own pages and the press articles listed below, each read on the date above. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.

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About Gemma Deeks

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