Visitors to the House of Waterford Crystal can watch the glassmaking process unfold from beginning to end, starting with the mould room, where master blowers shape glowing orbs of molten crystal into exquisite pieces. The next stop is the marking department, where a temporary grid offers a bit of guidance to master cutters as they carve the pattern, though each one’s practiced hands work purely from memory. These highly skilled artisans serve an eight-year apprenticeship before qualifying for this position, which requires the utmost dexterity to apply just the right amount of pressure to complete the task without damaging the vessel. Master craftsmen await in the sculpting department to demonstrate how blocks of crystal are shaped into true works of art. The last station is where each master engraver uses a type of copper wheel, known as Intaglio, to painstakingly apply the finishing touches.
