The Creation Of Waterford:

The techniques and tools have changed little over the centuries since George and William Penrose first opened their glassmaking factory in 1783. The crystal mix - silica sand. potash and letharge - are transformed into molten crystal in huge furnace around which a team of blowers and their apprentices work.

Blowing Glass: 

Brilliance is born in a 1200° C furnace. The glass blowers, using their skill and primitive tools - wooden blocks and molds - create the blank crystal chamber. Working within a four to seven man team requires tremendous dexterity and co-ordination of hands, breath and strength. Their experience and skill determines the thickness of each piece. This is essential to Waterford Crystal because of the depth at which the facets will be cut at a later stage.

Pot Setting:

The pots that contain the molten crystal can be seen in the furnace - at 1200 C.

Handle Making: 

Decanters and handle making are the most challenging. In a choreography of graceful steps conducted with fine precision, a glob of molten glass is carried to the craftsman as it begins to cool. The shapeless glob is skilfully attached to the decanter and in one sweeping gesture the master's touch lifts it on to a perfect, arching angle - a shimmering crystal handle

Annealing:

From the heart of the furnace to the hands of the craftsmen requires the blown crystal shape to be quickly transferred to the annealing oven. This allows the crystal to reach normal air temperature slowly, thereby avoiding stresses caused by rapid cooling, contraction and inevitable breakage,
Annealing can take from two hours for a wine glass to about 16 hours for a large sports trophy.

The Quality of Waterford: 

You may wonder why you never find Waterford seconds. The answer is, there are none. Outstanding quality remains the hallmark of Waterford Crystal. To maintain this level of quality insisted upon by Waterford rigourous quality control checks are carried out throughout every stage in the creation of its brilliance. Only pieces which conform to the stringent quality standards of Waterford will continue to the next stage of the process. All others are destroyed and fed again to the furnace.

Releasing The Trapped Light: 

When the blowers have breathed their magic, they leave a blank shape of crystal for Waterford's master cutters. A rough geometric guide of the design is marked on to the blank, but the ultimate position and depth of cut is rendered by the cutter's own sight and feel. There are two types of cutting: wedge and flat. Wedge cutting, using diamond tipped wheels, creates the deep intricate cuts - the hallmark of Waterford. Flat cutting complements the more intricate wedge patterns.

The strain of muscles against the diamond tipped wheels requires intense physical effort, and each craftsman leaves his own individual mark on each piece. In this way, no two pieces of Waterford are ever identical. The design is cut strictly from memory requiring an encyclopaedic knowledge of patterns and cuts. There are no short cuts to perfection. Once complete each piece stands testimony to the artisan's' skill forever.

Engraving / Sculpting:

Many famous sporting and commemorative events feature engraved Waterford Crystal as the treasured prize. Waterford has developed the largest copper wheel engraving department in the world, which creates unique works of art. The skill of copper wheel engraving, or intaglio, dates back about five thousand years. Little has changed since. Each piece is intricately crafted by moving it over slowly revolving copper wheels, the finest of which would be only the size of a pin-head. A commission. such as a portrait, can take a master engraver many hours to complete

PHOTO CREDITS: Images & information courtesy of Waterford Crystal