Our Glass
All our glassware is crafted entirely by hand using a method that has not changed much in the last 500 years.
We use fine, lead-free crystal, which means that minerals are added to the furnace to give it strength and also a clarity.
The Process
Each glob of molten glass is taken from the furnace on a long blow pipe. This must be kept moving or it will set.
The glass blower then blows down the pipe into a wooden mold to create the shape of the glass. Our stemware is made from two pieces. The stem is created separately and then attached to the bowl.
As the glass is created, it comes with a ‘hat’ which needs to be cut off. It is then cooled and annealed.
Only once it has gone through all these stages, with the rims smoothed and the glass checked for faults, can it be engraved.
The glasses are inked to that the engravers know where to cut. Each glass is engraved by hand on a fast-turning wheel. The wheel is made from terracotta, and the middle is sharpened so that when the glass is pressed against it, the pattern is created. The lens pattern involves two processes, first cutting, and then polishing.
Generations of artisans have passed these skills down. It is a highly skilled process, requiring great levels of concentration! I hope you enjoy this beautiful glassware as much as we do.