Pages

How To Identify Real Baccarat Crystal Pieces?

By Janet Burns


Baccarat refers to a company established in France, and they started producing baccarat crystal starting 1816. They also own two museums: the Musee Baccarat in Meurthe-et-Moselle and the Musee Baccarat in Paris. The company started creating window panes, stemware and mirrors in 1764, and they started to use the first crystal oven in 1816. They had 3000 workers at that time.

In 1993 the company began making jewelry and expanded into the perfume business in 1997. In 2010 Baccarat already had stores in more than 10 locations. Starting 2012, they also opened a luxury hotel chain which features their crystal chandeliers. Given their popularity and quality, each item is quite expensive and if you want to purchase one it is important to know that you are getting the real thing.

Let's see some of the methods that can be used to determine if the crystal item you are after is an original piece. For example, paperweights are usually market with the letter B and when it was created, just the year. If you piece is from 1849 and onward, only the number will be present and they would be of different colors, depending on the year or model.

If you are checking out a perfume bottle, keep in mind that the ones from 1920 to present have a specific logo on them, picturing a wine glass, goblet and jug. Also, they will have the name of the company written in a circle. Other glass items that were created in 1936 will have the logo mentioned before and the name of the company in capital letters. Pieces that are from recent years will only have the name, not the images.

More recent pieces only have the word "Baccarat" on them and not the entire logo. Sometimes they have the letter B on them. Sometimes they are branded with a sticker, which is often rectangular or quadrilateral, featuring their logo. The rectangular stickers are usually white, with a red ridge or solid red with gold text on them. Quadrilateral ones are gold and have a black ridge, with the company's name in the middle.

If you are interested in purchasing an unmarked piece it may be a bit more difficult to check it. You should try by checking the collectors' website or catalogs to familiarize with the types of items. Cube shapes were in style in the 1920s and 1950s, while in the 1960s the Venetian glass was popular.

You can also study the style of the designers that worked for the company, as each of them brought something special to the design. Still, this may prove a bit more complicated if you are not a connoisseur. One more common way to check if your piece is original would be to weight it, as the crystal will be a lot heavier than a fake piece.

If you are still not sure or are having a hard time figuring it out, contact a representative or visit a store that is near you. They will be able to help you and answer any questions you may have about the item that you want to purchase. There crystals are very valuable and they deserve the utmost attention and care.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment