Waterford

Waterford

Founded in Ireland in 1783, Waterford designs and manufactures an extensive range of crystal products. Firmly grounded in the traditional design of cut crystal, Waterford provides a selection of crystal stemware, barware, decanters, and vases. Browse our selection of high-quality Waterford collections.

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Named after the city of Waterford, Ireland, the company was established in 1783 by George and William Penrose when they petitioned Parliament for aid to establish the manufacture of flint glass. They were successful and the Waterford Glass House was born. Over the next year, they employed the best craftsmen, blowers, cutters, and engravers producing several useful and ornamental flint glass. But it was John Hill who was the key figure in the whole enterprise. He was brought in as a compounder and the only man who knew the secret of mixing glass material. It was Hill’s decision to polish the glass after cutting (removing the frosted appearance) and that became one of Waterford’s key signatures. Hill eventually left Waterford, but he passed his formula for glass compounding to the clerk Jonathan Gatchell, who went from clerk to glass compounder. The reputation of Waterford cut glass started to grow and became renowned.

The business was sold in 1799 to the partners James Ramsey and Ambrose Barcroft. Because of his skill in compounding, Jonathan Gatchell was also brought on as a partner. Ramsey died in 1810 and the partnership was dissolved. This was Jonathan Gatchell’s chance. The boy who had started as a clerk became the sole proprietor of the glass manufacturing company and remained so until he died in 1823. His son, George, took over the business and did his utmost to maintain the Waterford standards. Waterford went on to win silver medals at the Royal Dublin Society’s Exhibitions of 1835 and 1836 for cut flint glass. At the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, Waterford presented an ornamental center stand for a banqueting table, consisting of forty pieces of cut glass. Despite his best efforts, the Waterford factory ceased production with many of the workers going to Belfast, where the glass-making industry struggled until 1870.

In 1947, with Europe still in ruins after the Second World War, a native Czechoslovakian Charles Bacik traveled to Ireland to set up a crystal factory. A small factory was set up in Ballytruckle, a suburb of Waterford, and only a few miles from the site of the original Penrose glasshouse. Along with his partner Noel Griffin, Charles recruited 30 blowers and cutters from various parts of Europe to train Irish apprentices in Waterford. Among the new arrivals was Miroslav Havel, a glassblower from Czechoslovakia. Havel pulled the old pattern books from the defunct Waterford Flint Glass Works of the previous century and this resource would greatly influence the first patterns produced at the Johnstown factory. It was Havel who was responsible for the designing of the Lismore pattern, one of the most popular patterns ever made by Waterford.

The new factory progressed and would eventually need a larger space due to the increase in growth. Newer furnaces were built in 1951 and Waterford Crystal began its journey to the summit of the world’s crystal industry. In 1955, Waterford made its first profits and by the 1970s the demand for Waterford Crystal soon exceeded supply. Waterford became the best-known name in hand-crafted crystal and a new 425,000 feet factory was opened in Kilbarry in 1973. The largest manufacturing unit of its kind in the world. Waterford Glass Ltd. became a public company in 1966.

In the 1980s, Waterford saw several improvements across the industry due to the use of computer technology, the introduction of a new furnace design that used natural gas instead of oil, and the use of diamond wheel cutting allowing for more exciting and intricate patterns. In 1991, Waterford launched the Marquis brand, an extensive range of crystal products including stemware and hollowware pieces. Waterford acquired Wedgwood in 1986 and the Waterford Wedgwood Group partnered with celebrities to promote their brands.

In 2010, a new Waterford Crystal manufacturing facility and retail outlet were opened in the heart of Waterford, Ireland. Today, the new manufacturing facility melts down more than 750 tonnes of crystal and produces more than 45,000 pieces every year using traditional methods. Waterford continues to lead the way in luxury and premium products to the market.

43 Items

Set Descending Direction
  1. Elegance
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$124.00

  2. Lismore
    Barware
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$113.00

  3. Lismore
    Square Decanter Clear
    by Waterford

    US$429.00
    In Stock
  4. Lismore
    Stemware
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$113.00

  5. Mixology
    Mixed Coupes Set Of 4
    by Waterford

    US$454.00
    In Stock
  6. Elegance
    Accent Decanter
    by Waterford

    US$382.00
    In Stock
  7. Lismore
    Votive, Set of 2
    by Waterford

    Special Price US$75.00 Regular Price US$159.00
    In Stock
  8. Lismore Diamond
    Frame 5x7"
    by Waterford

    US$233.00
    In Stock
  9. Lismore Connoisseur
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$176.00

  10. Lismore
    Giftware
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$136.00

  11. Lismore Diamond
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$129.00

  12. Lismore Essence
    Stemware
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$113.00

  13. Frames
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$185.00

  14. Lismore Nouveau
    Decanting Carafe
    by Waterford

    Special Price US$245.00 Regular Price US$408.00
    In Stock
  15. Lismore Nouveau
    Stemware
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$227.00

  16. Lismore Diamond
    Barware
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$176.00

  17. Lismore
    DOF 12 Oz
    by Waterford

    US$113.00
    In Stock
  18. Lismore
    Cake Plate 11"
    by Waterford

    Special Price US$184.00 Regular Price US$307.00
    Out Of Stock
    Out of stock
  19. Lismore Evolution
    Tumbler Set/4
    by Waterford

    US$454.00
    In Stock
  20. Lismore Tall
    Stemware
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$113.00

  21. Lismore Black
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$211.00

  22. Lismore Essence
    Barware
    by Waterford

    Starting at US$227.00

  23. Lismore Black
    Square Decanter
    by Waterford

    US$698.00
    In Stock

43 Items

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