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Does anyone know anything about fine Crystal glasses?
- Thread starter OscarTheGrouch
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I'm afraid I can't help you in identifying the pattern on the glasses. However, the box may be of some help in telling you where it came from (different cities/towns/factories all use their own specific and readily identified designs, eg what used to be Waterford Crystal in Ireland had different designs to some of the other, locally produced, products from other cities and regions) and your family might be able to tell you when the glasses were originally acquired (given that fashion - even in glassware - changes over time).
Good quality crystal will have a fairly high percentage of lead in the glass - it should feel heavy enough when you hold it, and should give off a very satisfying "ping" sound when you flick a finger at the glass.
One further thing; I cannot understand why anyone ever keeps these beautiful objects in glass-fronted side-boards, or, indeed, in storage boxes. The best of them are exquisite; use them. Enjoy them. If they get broken, they get broken; such is life. I have a number of crystal glasses from a few different sets which together make up a complete set; some of their comrades have perished on their life's journey. My view is that they were made to be used, and as such, can transform an ordinary dinner into an occasion, a celebration of life, family and friends.
One of life's great pleasures is to drink a bottle of excellent red wine (or white, if preferred), rich and redolent with flavour and depth, with friends, preferably out of a glass which matches the occasion. When I am in my family home, I use the family - and my own - crystal glass always. Don't let it gather dust in storage. Use and enjoy them.
Cheers and good luck
Good quality crystal will have a fairly high percentage of lead in the glass - it should feel heavy enough when you hold it, and should give off a very satisfying "ping" sound when you flick a finger at the glass.
One further thing; I cannot understand why anyone ever keeps these beautiful objects in glass-fronted side-boards, or, indeed, in storage boxes. The best of them are exquisite; use them. Enjoy them. If they get broken, they get broken; such is life. I have a number of crystal glasses from a few different sets which together make up a complete set; some of their comrades have perished on their life's journey. My view is that they were made to be used, and as such, can transform an ordinary dinner into an occasion, a celebration of life, family and friends.
One of life's great pleasures is to drink a bottle of excellent red wine (or white, if preferred), rich and redolent with flavour and depth, with friends, preferably out of a glass which matches the occasion. When I am in my family home, I use the family - and my own - crystal glass always. Don't let it gather dust in storage. Use and enjoy them.
Cheers and good luck
Well sadly the original boxes have long since been discarded. They are currently wrapped in newspaper in a shipping box, which is where they have been for the las 17 years or so. My family has our own crystal and glasses. I am not afraid of using them, however my wife and i have accumulated our own collection, and while these were my grandmothers, they hold absolutely no sentimental value to me so it's frankly not much different than drinking out of a glass from a nice restaurant. I don't much care for the pattern. I figure someone else would enjoy and use them more than I would, which is why I am trying to find out about them.
I vaguely remember my mom mentioning waterford so it's possible it was made by them. I spent an hour on their website browsing their patterns but found no matches. I've also emailed replacements ltd and hopefully their people can identify it.
I'm not sure that the current designs of Waterford Crystal are what you need here. Older designs seem more likely judging by your photos. Waterford Crystal was the pre-eminent crystal manufacturer in Ireland, and as such, enjoyed a world reputation and could command premium prices for their products.
Recently, they have attempted to shut their factory down in Ireland, citing world conditions, high labour costs and declining sales and the whole saga led to a bitter industrial relations dispute and employee sit-in. The thing is, this situation had long predated the global collapse. The problem of declining sales had kicked in quite a while ago in Europe - the US market held firm until quite recently - as crystal was seen as "old-fashioned" and the sort of stuff one's granny had. As indeed your granny had it, I'd suggest that you try looking much further back, say, to the designs of the 50s and 60s if you can find any record of same.
This is because in its modern incarnation, Waterford was set up by/staffed by refugees from central/eastern Europe after the Second World War, who brought with them glass-cutting skills, from, yes, Bohemia in what is now the Czech Republic; as it happened, 18th century Ireland did indeed have glass-making but those traditions had died out in the 19th century and were resurrected by the aforementioned central Europeans who used their own traditions & skills to revive (re-invent) Irish glass-cutting. Hence, some very old-world patterns, which is what I think you may have.
The recently redundant Waterford workers are a veritable treasure trove of information and knowledge on their products; many had worked in the plant for decades. They - or their trade union - might be able to help you.
Cheers and good luck
Recently, they have attempted to shut their factory down in Ireland, citing world conditions, high labour costs and declining sales and the whole saga led to a bitter industrial relations dispute and employee sit-in. The thing is, this situation had long predated the global collapse. The problem of declining sales had kicked in quite a while ago in Europe - the US market held firm until quite recently - as crystal was seen as "old-fashioned" and the sort of stuff one's granny had. As indeed your granny had it, I'd suggest that you try looking much further back, say, to the designs of the 50s and 60s if you can find any record of same.
This is because in its modern incarnation, Waterford was set up by/staffed by refugees from central/eastern Europe after the Second World War, who brought with them glass-cutting skills, from, yes, Bohemia in what is now the Czech Republic; as it happened, 18th century Ireland did indeed have glass-making but those traditions had died out in the 19th century and were resurrected by the aforementioned central Europeans who used their own traditions & skills to revive (re-invent) Irish glass-cutting. Hence, some very old-world patterns, which is what I think you may have.
The recently redundant Waterford workers are a veritable treasure trove of information and knowledge on their products; many had worked in the plant for decades. They - or their trade union - might be able to help you.
Cheers and good luck
look to me like a Seneca glass pattern
probably are US made glasses.
post pics on a stemware forum and it will probably be identified in 5 min
I am more familiar with Cut Crystal, I have a sizable collection of them,
real bohemian ones.
You wouldn't know of any forums my Canadian friend would you? I've googled and a bulk of the results I get are for sites trying to sell me crystal.
Thanks!
My dad has a pretty large Princess House collection that he mostly gathered before kids came along. Looking back, it was odd growing up broke yet eating on crystal every night.
I was living in Florida in a party house(5 guys under 25 years old who all drank like fish) one my my housemates brought home a bunch of stuff from the second hand store, including some mugs. One guy looked at one of the flower patterned mugs and asked what it was. I just happened to be walking in the room at the same time and said, "Oh, its from the Fantasia collection by Princess House." Everyone turned and look at me with a puzzled look on their faces. I had to explain how a broke buy who works on cars might know that
I was living in Florida in a party house(5 guys under 25 years old who all drank like fish) one my my housemates brought home a bunch of stuff from the second hand store, including some mugs. One guy looked at one of the flower patterned mugs and asked what it was. I just happened to be walking in the room at the same time and said, "Oh, its from the Fantasia collection by Princess House." Everyone turned and look at me with a puzzled look on their faces. I had to explain how a broke buy who works on cars might know that
more than the pattern, i find the gravity-defying bases exceedingly intriguing. How powerful are they? if you hold one in each hand, can you climb a wall?