Waterford is synonymous with exquisite crystal craft. Our designs are a combination of artistic inspiration and technical prowess, our capabilities honed and perfected over almost 250 years of expert crystal craftmanship.
We are renowned for our skillful use of traditional techniques, a legacy handed down from generation to generation. Each Master Craftsperson must complete an eight-year apprenticeship to learn the production skills required – and then spend decades mastering them. But we are always experimenting and innovating to refine modern methods that complement our historic craft expertise.
Put simply, whatever the piece, whatever the pattern, the same superlative Waterford standards apply, so you know you are always getting the best.
Explore the detailed, multi-stage craft process that goes into creating our exquisite luxury designs.
With imagination and artistic vision, our design team captures the spirit of exciting new themes, modernizing classic Waterford aesthetics for the contemporary world through techniques new and old. This includes sketching designs by hand and then rendering them in 3D to bring the aesthetic to life.
We are one of the few crystal manufacturers that still practices the ancient craft of mold making, fashioning hand tools and molds that can only be used for between 7-10 days because of the searing heat they have to endure.
We use continuously melting furnaces, where the finest raw materials realize the clearest crystal in the world. We are also mindful of our responsibility to the environment, a commitment which saw us introducing a new lead-free formula for our crystal in 2023. You can rest assured though, as our one-of-a kind crystal formulation still provides the trademark sparkle and brilliance that you know and love.
Working at temperatures that can reach 1315ºC (2400ºF), our hand- and machine-blowing is where luxury crystal really starts to take on the elegant forms for which we are synonymous worldwide.
We employ six stringent inspection stages. If at any of these stages the crystal is not considered to be of the requisite quality, it is rejected, smashed and sent back to the furnace for re-melting, part of our commitment to sustainability.
Before cutting, each piece is temporarily marked with a geometric grid to assist in transferring the pattern onto the crystal. Each individual pattern, of which there are hundreds, has been committed to memory by the cutter through decades of intense training.
Whether applied by hand or machine, our cuts ensure we adorn each piece with carefully crafted facets of outstanding brilliance.
Once cutting is complete, the piece is thoroughly and carefully polished to remove any rough edges. This results in a beautiful smooth feel that brings to the fore the trademark brilliance of our crystal.
Forms are cut and revealed from the solid blocks of crystal and then etched with great patience and skill.
Beautiful finishing flourishes provide an added dash of gold or platinum luxury.
For some pieces, we sandblast specific elements of the design before putting it through an additional polishing process to soften the texture and create a satin finish.
Grey cuts are the result of a clever less-is-more approach, leaving some areas unpolished to provide interesting and tactile textural contrast.
We use an organic, water-based, high-performance color spray to introduce beautiful colorways to our crystal. The hardwearing finish is free of heavy metals, formaldehydes and other toxic substances.
Proudly made in Ireland, our Mastercraft collections represent the pinnacle of luxury crystal, producing pieces that will be proudly passed from generation to generation.
Whatever the collection, whatever the design, we maintain the same sky-high standards of craft, skill and innovation. A fine example of this promise is our Lismore Collection, created by Chief Designer Miroslav Havel in 1952 to celebrate our elite craftmanship and rich heritage. This design has never stood still, being reimagined and reiterated over the years to incorporate contemporary patterns and shapes, moving with the times to inspire and delight down the generations.
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