Eyewear
Eyewear is a commonly used term for items worn over the eyes for correcting vision, eye protection against ultra violet rays or as a fashion statement. The eyewear can be broadly classified as under.
Eyeglasses contain a pair of lenses set in a frame worn over the eyes generally for correcting defective eyesight. Eyeglasses constitute a frame and the eyelenses. Frames can be a major part of personal expression and can form a part of one's identity. An eyeglass frame is the most common product related to eyeglasses. Eyeglass frames are generally made from carbon fiber graphite (CFG), Copolyamide, aluminum, stainless steel, cobalt and plastic. Eyelenses are usually made of glass and plastic. Earlier glass lenses were considered better but now lenses made of some good quality plastic have also become very common, because they have lesser weight than glass and better optical properties. An added advantage is that scratch resistant coatings can be applied to plastic lenses, which increases their life.
Contact lenses are thin plastic or glass lenses that are worn under the eyelid and are fitted over the cornea of the eye. Contact lenses are worn for the purpose of correcting eye vision and also for altering the color of the eye. A wide variety of contact lens are available in the market, which includes disposable contact lens, color contact lens, therapeutic contact lens, etc.
Sunglasses are used to protect the eyes from sun's harmful UV rays. They are also worn as a style statement according to prevalent trend. Most of the lenses used in sunglasses are made of colored plastic like polycarbonate. But the high quality lenses made by the famous brands are made of glass. Some metallic oxide pigments and soluble organic dyes are added to the lens, so that it can absorb or reflect light of certain frequencies. Sunglass frames are usually made of metal or plastic.
Italy is the leading manufacturer of eyewear in the world, with a share of 27.6% in the global eyewear market. In 2006, 82.4% of the Italian production of eyewear was exported, for a value of approximately Euro 1.7 bn. (over USD 2.1bn. at that year's average exchange rate), a 13% increase over the previous year. Figures for the production and export of sunglasses are even more impressive. In the year 2006 Italy held about half of the entire world market share for sunglasses, i.e. a 48.6% share, for a value of approximately 1bn. Euros (over $1.24bn.), a 21.4% increase from 2005. Italian frames held a 27.5% global market share, i.e. a 2.7% increase over the previous year. The other eyewear manufacturing destinations include China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and USA. This section provides a complete list of eyeglass manufacturers, eyeglass suppliers and eyeglass stores from across the globe.
