Have you ever found yourself in front of a beautiful crystal vase , decorated with beautiful sculptures?

You see, it's magic. We wonder how the master crystal maker was able to achieve it.

It's so accurate and realistic.

As you know, we don't only make sculptures in crystal . There is also the art of the table. For some glasses more complex than others, I imagine that you would be curious to know how they are made.

You are not fooled. In this society which is more and more in the race for permanent profit, you can well imagine that many parts are manufactured by machines.

However, some pieces cannot be manufactured mechanically, which is why there are still a few crystal makers who produce using ancestral techniques that only years of practice allow to create inimitable works.

I know what I'm talking about. It's not for nothing that I started very young. It takes years to be able to work with crystal with the naked eye. It doesn't happen overnight.

Finally, so that you can learn about the different automated and handmade manufacturing techniques, I have written this article for you.

You will discover the 5 different techniques for making Crystal.

Let's start with the traditional technique.

Step 1: The hand-cut mouth soufflé.

  • Mouth-blown

Using a cane, the crystal blower will pick up a ball of molten crystal on which he applies the color by rolling this ball in powders, grains and plates of crystal colored with metallic oxides (blue: cobalt - green: iron - red: gold...).


He then creates the decoration and patterns by mixing the shades and pulling threads with small pliers, called tweezers.

The parison is then rounded using a dabber or mallet before being blown.

At this point, he introduces air into the cane, plugging the end to trap this air which, with the heat, expands and inflates the glass.

You have all seen crystal blowers before. Now you will understand better how it is possible to make this molten ball inflate.

But it's not over yet

Then, he will cover the piece with a second layer of crystal that will allow the color to be enclosed between two transparent layers. It is from this second layer that he really begins the piece, with its own shape. Different tools are necessary to work this shape:

  • the mouillette: folded and moistened newspaper which, thanks to its flexibility and relative insulation, allows the hand to be used to shape the crystal.
  • irons: they allow you to refine the material in different places, to stretch the collars...
  • Once the general shape is given, he glues the pontil (cane on which he has picked a piece of hot crystal).

He can then separate the latter from the cane by creating a thermal shock with water. After having reheated it, the glassmaker can then rework the upper part of the piece by opening it using the irons, and cutting it with the scissors.

When the piece is finished, he detaches the pontil, then places the piece in the annealing arch where it will be reheated uniformly in order to be freed from the internal tensions created during the work.

The piece will then remain for several hours in the extinguished arch, until it has completely cooled.

The number of hours spent in the ark will depend on the size of the piece. For some monumental pieces, it will be necessary to leave the piece for several days.

So that you can understand even better, here is a short video:

When the piece comes out of the oven it must be cut

  • Hand-cut.

If you follow us on the site or social networks you have surely already seen videos where I cut crystal.

By the way, a little aside on this subject: every week live on Facebook I make a short presentation video to share my know-how.

Here is an example of the diamond wheel cut of the Signature service pattern:

The crystal cutter works from an object hot out of the blower's oven.

He starts by polishing it to remove any sharp edges. He marks the location of the decoration by digging it with more or less fine grinding wheels or with a diamond grinding wheel (which you saw in the video above).

Finally, over the years, very often, certain decorations can be created without marking, such as the size representing bunches of grapes and vine leaves, for example.

When the final size of the pattern is done, there remains the polishing which will give all its brilliance to the crystal or glass.

In this manufacturing process the color will be integrated into the crystal mass but sometimes it will be directly applied to the piece after the object has been blown.

Step 2: The doubled crystal.

As in the manufacturing technique from the first stage to the initial these are mouth blown pieces.

However, sometimes to make the piece even more spectacular we will add a layer of colored crystal hot on the blank made of white crystal.

Here is an example of the double-walled crystal whisky glasses we have recently started manufacturing:

This process requires a great deal of know-how, because it can only be done by eye and as you can imagine it must be very precise and quick.

Applying color to molten crystal, I can tell you, requires a lot of dexterity.

However, crystal is not always blown, it can be made with lost wax molds.

They are handmade, and require a lot of work, in the greatest tradition of the great crystal houses.

I know if you don't know, you're wondering what wax is doing there.

No worries, I'll explain.

Step 3: The lost wax technique.

Some will call it crystal paste work. It is the same technique that will be used to make bronze sculptures.

At Artisan du Cristal we use this technique and are among the last to produce monumental pieces manufactured using this principle.

To begin with, you should know that lost wax work presents a much greater risk of loss. When we make a piece, it very often risks cracking in the oven.

What do you mean, in the oven?

I will explain to you.

Lost wax casting is a precision casting process to obtain a crystal sculpture from a wax model.

This wax model will then be removed by heating during the operation.

It is therefore necessary to wrap the wax mold in a refractory material and allow the crystal to take the place of the wax, after which the wax will drain through conduits.

Here is a photo example of a mold and the preparation work for the lost wax technique:

Lost wax casting

In other words.

After the coating has solidified, the wax will be evacuated by heat, leaving a hollow which will be filled via conical elements which will serve as funnels, called "jets", and filaments which will serve as conduits for the materials and air, and called "vents".

The vents allow both the evacuation of air and a good distribution of the material in the details of the mold.

So to recap, we create the wax mold, then we put composite material around it which will take the shape of the wax mold after which we pour the crystal into it.

But it's not over yet.

Oh yes!!

We can't let all this cool down in the open air.

It must be put in the famous oven: the annealing arch.

This will allow the room to cool gradually.

You wonder why?

Because if the crystal cools too quickly it risks cracking.

And as I told you above, even in the annealing arch some parts crack.

After taking the piece out of the oven there will be the final step which consists of reworking the details of the piece to make it even more real, more “alive”.

If you go to our website, in the section: Exceptional pieces. You will find all the pieces that we have manufactured on this principle.

Here is an example of a monumental piece:

As you can see, the details are impressive and the reflections are fabulous. Lost wax work really allows you to create extraordinary creations.

Sometimes the shape to be given to the piece before cutting will not be done manually but mechanically.

Which brings us to part four

Step 4: Mechanical shaping and hand cutting.

As you have understood regarding the size there will be no difference with the mouth blown for this manufacturing process. It will be the work of shaping the piece which will be different.

This practice is used to produce in larger quantities.

Yes, as I always told you, the concern is to produce at a lower cost.

The light refraction will be lower than mouth-blown. But still, some mechanically manufactured parts remain of good quality and beautiful achievements.

The big difference with the traditional manufacturing process will be the refraction of light.

You wonder why?

This is simply because the molds alter the purity of the transparency of the walls of the piece. The mold will never be as smooth as mouth-blown. Because it is a little wavy.

The part is placed in a mold, into which a machine will inject the crystal, after which the mold will be opened and the part extracted.

Some pieces can be blown and mechanically cut.

Step 5: The molded crystal also called the pressed crystal

This is the lowest end like arc crystal. We will talk about industrial crystal.

The shape and decoration are created in the mold in a single step.

The fineness of detail, finishing, and detail are less compared to previous techniques.

The refraction of light will be much lower.

As I explained to you, when the part is molded, the trace of the mold remaining exciting, the final quality will necessarily be lower.

TO YOU:

There you have it, now you have everything about the different crystal manufacturing techniques.

We can be proud of this know-how which I hope will continue for many years to come.

It is true that today more and more crystal factories are closing their doors and that many manufacture mechanically to fight against competition.

Fortunately, there are still the big houses that perpetuate the traditions.

In any case, at Artisan du Cristal Klein Baccarat we will always do our utmost to pass on our knowledge.

By the way, if you want even more information, do not hesitate to contact us.

If you want to have more information about a part that you own for example.

And now you know all the manufacturing methods.

You will know a little more about what you are buying.

You see, it's not that complicated.

And if you have nice pieces at home, you can share your knowledge with your friends and loved ones.

Thank you for sharing this article.

Below you will find the different links to social networks on which you can share.

And you: what manufacturing techniques did you not know?

I hope you learned something from this article.

We look forward to your feedback.