Waterford glass

Waterford glass, heavy cut glassware produced in Waterford, Ire., from 1729. Waterford glass, particularly the early variety, is characterized by thick walls, deeply incised geometric cutting, and brilliant polish. The smoky, bluish gray colour of early Waterford glass was considered a drawback, and a clear crystal was produced after 1830. It is the darkened glass, however, that is most prized by modern collectors. Characteristic Waterford products include Rococo chandeliers with diamond-cut or scalloped branches, wall lamps, sconces, bowls, and vases.

Waterford glass spans two stylistic periods. Rococo shapes and cutting continued to be manufactured by Waterford glassmakers after 1770, when thinner, more restrained Neoclassic—or Adam style—pieces were being made in England. The Adam style, however, was gradually adopted. The Waterford glasshouse ceased production in 1851 largely owing to heavy British excise taxes on glass that drained profits. A new glassworks was opened in the town in 1951 by the Irish Glass Bottle Company with the express intention of reviving the patterns associated with Waterford glass.