The Creation of Perfection
How Waterford Crystal is Made
Glass making is an ancient process that has been with us for over two thousand years. Throughout the history of glass, there have been few changes to the basic raw materials. The significant difference between pre-17th century glass and the likes of Waterford Crystal is the addition of lead oxide or ‘red lead’ to the process.
Creating the Molten Mix
The ‘cocktail’ of ingredients is melted in a furnace to a temperature of over 1,200 degrees centigrade. The red-lead oxide is then added to the mix, giving the glass its true ‘crystal’ qualities of weight, clarity and ‘cuttability’. The crystal has to be soft so that during the cutting process, it doesn’t splinter.
Blowing the Glass
The next phase of manufacture is the blowing of the glass. Although this can be done by machine, for the true excellence as found in Waterford Crystal, skilled craftsmen are required. The apprenticeship period for blowing skills can be up to five or six years. The craftsmen have to be, not only capable of working in a team, they also have to be quite athletic. Physical strength, controlled deep breathing and considerable dexterity are just some of the attributes required for the skilled glass blower. The ‘gob’ of glass has to be blown into a basic mould, made of pear wood. As soon as the red hot glass touches the glass, it starts to cool, so the blowers have to get to work quickly. The chief blower immediately starts blowing and spinning the glass in the mould. Great experience and dexterity are required to achieve the correct thickness to the glass – the deeper the cutting that is to be carried out, the thicker the glass needs to be. If the glass becomes unmanageable through having cooled and hardened, it is whipped back across to the furnace to be re-heated and rendered more malleable.
Once the piece has been blown to the right size and shape, it is then cooled. If it were left in the open air, the glass could crack during cooling, or it could develop lines and flaws . So it has to be annealed. This involves the glass moving on a very slow conveyor along the length of an annealing oven. This is very hot at one end, but then becomes progressively cooler. The time spent in this ‘cooling oven’ can be as long as 16 hours.
Cutting Glass
The glass now has to be prepared for cutting. The design is first traced out onto the glass. The basic design is then ‘roughed out’ or crudely cut with a carborundum surfaced cutting wheel. Then begins the wonderful skill of the detailed cutting. The craftsmen at Waterford Crystal are the world’s masters of this craft. They use different shaped edges on different sized wheels to achieve exactly the right depth and width of cut. The cutters have to be immensely careful so as not to cut through the bowl. The glass cutters of Waterford Crystal are renowned for the consistent intricacy of their work.
Finishing
The article is ‘finished’ using a sandstone wheel. The unmistakable brilliance of Waterford Crystal is then achieved by dipping the crystal in a mixture of sulphuric and hydrofluoric acid. Again, timing is critical here. Left too long in the acid bath and the crystal object loses its characteristic sharpness of cut and with it, its stunning qualities of refraction and reflection.