Baccarat

Jewels of French tableware since the 18th century, the Baccarat crystal works for several centuries have been creating pieces sought after at auctions and innovating through new techniques and artistic collaborations, always obtaining excellent sales results.


The bishopric of Metz, in the 18th century, had to deal with declining profitability of the salt works. Under the pretext of putting an end to imports of Bohemian glass and in order to dispose of the large stocks of wood, he asked the King for authorization to create a glassworks in Baccarat, under the name of Sainte Anne glassworks.


As with the Saint Louis factory, the region is suitable for this installation. The wood of the neighboring forests, the siliceous soil allow the exploitation of a glass factory

In 1764, King Louis XV authorized the creation of a glass factory in Baccarat. As for Saint Louis, the factory initially made goblet and glass for the mirrors.


The factory is developing its infrastructure: a canal, workers' housing in the factory, etc. The Revolution and the wars of the Empire taking the workforce to the front and pushing up the price of raw materials, however, caused glassware to decline.


In 1816, the factory was sold to Monsieur d'Artigues, owner of a crystal factory in Vonèche, then in the Netherlands. In view of the high customs duties, Monsieur d'Artigues' imports were then limited. After Louis XVIII negotiation, exemption from customs duties for part of the imports, on condition that the crystal works in France are preserved.

From 1816 the first furnaces were in operation and produced a very good quality crystal. The investments were significant and it was riddled with debt that Monsieur d'Artigues sold his factory for a few years to three of his partners, including Pierre Antoine Godard Desmaret.


Cultivating excellence, Baccarat took part in the first National Exhibition of Industrial Products and won the gold medal in 1823. The same year, Louis XVIII placed an order there.

It will be the beginning of a close bond between Baccarat and the great princely and aristocratic families. From 1840, Baccarat added tinted crystal to its creations. In 1840 appears the famous Harcourt service created for Louis Philippe.


New techniques and inventions in crystal cutting also made Baccarat famous, with famous engravers like Simon. Industrial developments, particularly with regard to furnaces, allow the crystal works to evolve according to new developments: wood, coal, hard coal and then gas heat them in turn.


In 1841, the factory employed an engineer specializing in colors, who would develop the first paperweights. Filigree glass made Baccarat famous for a quarter of a century, as did the production of chandeliers.

Sold 2400 euros !                         Sold 2050 euros !
 

Baccarat won the gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1855. In 1860, the crystal factory registered its trademark: a carafe, a stemmed glass and a goblet inscribed in a circle, printed on a paper label, then directly engraved on the part.
 

The production then moves towards luxury crystalware of very high quality in all categories: perfumes, chandeliers, tableware, etc.

At the start of the 20th century, Baccarat was particularly known for its production of perfume bottles and also produced bottles for precious liqueurs.

After having opened numerous boutiques and created phenomenal pieces, Baccarat launched into jewelry in 1993. More recently, it is the noteworthy artistic collaborations that have made the history of Baccarat, such as the one with Philip Starck and his black collection.

      
A Baccarat and André Ballet collaboration 

Prestigious objects, synonyms of luxury, you will find in our online auctions crystal bottles, Baccarat chandeliers, Harcourt, Edith, Flore, Talleyrand, Casino glass sets, etc.
 

  
Le service Flore, Baccarat       Le service Talleyrand, Baccarat     Le service Casino de Baccarat 

Our auctioneers are at your disposal to help authenticate the Baccarat crystal and recognize the different models by giving you their value. Some parts can be very expensive and it is always prudent to be advised by a professional.

Find our sales results online, have your Baccarat crystal pieces valued for free, find the treasure you are looking for using our alert services, start your collection or simply fall for a beautiful piece of crystal!