Waterford Crystal, Crystal manufacturer in Waterford, Ireland
Waterford Crystal is a manufacturer of lead crystal glass in Waterford, Ireland, producing mouth-blown items through melting, shaping and cutting. The workshop consists of several rooms where molten glass is brought into forms, cooled and then decorated by hand with patterns.
George and William Penrose founded the first glassworks in Waterford in 1783 and made flint glass that soon became known across Europe. Production stopped in the 19th century and was only resumed in 1947 with new methods.
The name comes from the city of Waterford, where glassmakers have worked since the 18th century and cut their patterns into the surface without templates. Visitors can see today how these craftsmen stand at their workstations and use copper wheels to shape the well-known designs.
The House of Waterford Crystal offers guided tours through the workshop where you can watch the individual steps from the furnace to the finished piece. The rooms are well lit and you move along paths that pass close to the work tables.
Each item is checked several times during production, and some engravings take several days because the craftsmen use copper wheels and cut each line individually into the surface. The molds are made from wood or metal according to old templates and used over many years.
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