Valéry Klein: "Birth of my passion for Crystal"
Valéry Klein recounts the birth of his passion for crystal, which would later give life to the Artisan du Cristal workshop.
“My encounter with this noble and fascinating material that is crystal marked the beginning of a passion that has driven me for over 50 years.”
Since my childhood, crystal and its countless reflections have exerted a deep fascination on me. I often accompanied my father, a crystal merchant, during his visits to his artisan clients, all driven by a contagious passion for their art.
I remember the hours spent in awe watching the precision and dexterity of the master crystal workers. Every move they made, whether blowing the molten material or carefully sculpting it, transformed the raw crystal into a work of art. The magic worked before my eyes, each piece gradually revealing its beauty, polished to perfection, shining like a star.
Among these artisans were Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, masters in their field. Their workshops were full of creations in progress, works still unfinished but already imbued with a soul. These pieces in the making, witnesses of ancestral know-how, captivated me. I felt infinite admiration for this rigor and patience, for this love of detail that transformed each creation into a masterpiece.
It was by observing these artisans that my vocation truly took root. Crystal, for me, is much more than a simple material. It is the reflection of passion, hard work and a permanent quest for excellence. It is this heritage that I wanted to perpetuate through Artisan du Cristal , by honoring this unique know-how while reinventing it with respect and admiration.