Waterford Crystal

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A Waterford crystal chandelier
A Waterford crystal chandelier

Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware produced in Waterford, Ireland, by the company Waterford Wedgwood plc., previously trading as Waterford Glass Ltd.

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A crystal business was originally founded in the city in 1783 by George and William Penrose; it produced extremely fine crystal that became world-renowned. However, their company later closed, reportedly due to excessive taxation of the product. In 1947, Czech immigrant Charles Bacik established a glass works in the city, due to the superb reputation of the original glassware. Aided by fellow countryman and designer Miroslav Havel, the company started operations in a depressed Ireland. By the early 1950s it had been taken over as a subsidiary of the Irish Glass Bottle company.

In May 2005, Waterford Wedgwood announced the closure of its factory in Dungarvan in order to consolidate all operations into the main factory in Kilbarry, Waterford City, where 1,000 people are employed by the company. The move resulted in nearly 500 Dungarvan workers losing their jobs. The Kilbarry operation features a tourist centre offering guided tours of the factory, a gift shop, cafe, and gallery.

Waterford produces many patterns of lead crystal stemware, including Adare, Alana, Colleen, Kincora, Lismore, Maeve, Tramore, and many others.

Waterford's chandeliers hang in well-known buildings like Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, and the Kennedy Center, and they have made the crystals for the famous New Year's Eve Ball that is dropped each year in New York City's Times Square. The ball is a 1,070 pound geodesic orb, six feet in diameter and is lit by 600 clear and colored high-intensity halogen bulbs and 96 halogen strobe lights.[1]

Also crafted by Waterford are the Masters Series crystal shield trophies which are awarded to the winner of each of the nine men's professional tennis Masters Series tournaments.

Waterford Crystal gave its name to a champion racehorse from Ireland.

  1. ^ MSCBC Times Square ball to get LED makeover (retrieved 31 December 2006)


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