Identifying Real Baccarat Crystal Items

By Janet Burns


Baccarat was founded in France in 1764, and they started with window panes, mirrors and stemware. They starting using a crystal oven in 1816 and since then every baccarat crystal item created is of great value. They started with 3000 workers and in time even opened two museums, one in Meurthe-et-Moselle and one in Paris.

The company also started making jewelry and perfume in 1997. They had stores in around 10 locations in 2010 and by 2012 they opened a luxury hotel featuring crystal chandeliers. If you decided to purchase one item from Baccarat, you know that they are quite expensive and sometimes hard to get, especially the older models. Also, you need to know how to be sure you are not getting any fake products.

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.

Their bottles for perfume created from 1920 to present look for a logo featuring a wine glass, a jug and a goblet with the name of the company printed in a circle. Other items made from glass created from 1936 also have the logo with the wine glass, carafe and goblet, along with the name in capital letters. The later pieces could only have the words, without the images.

Crystal pieces that were created more recently have the company's name on them: "Baccarat". Other pieces will only present a large B or could be marked with a sticker. This could be rectangular or quadrilateral and will feature the logo. Rectangular stickers are white with a border, usually red, or totally red with text written in gold. Quadrilateral stickers are gold with a black border and the name of the company in the middle.

If you see a piece that you want but it is unmarked, it is a bit more difficult to check if it is original. Check out the websites and catalogs from various collectors and get yourself familiar with the styles throughout the years. For instance, in the '20s as well as the '50s, cube shapes were popular, while in the 1960s the Venetian glass was in style.

If you are already familiarized with their style you can study the designers that Baccarat used in the past. It may be a bit complicated if you are not familiarized with these, though. Another easier way is to weight them, considering that crystal is way heavier than other materials used in fake items.

If you still cannot be sure about the authenticity of the piece or cannot figure it out, a good idea would be to visit a store near you or contact a representative. They should be able to help you and provide all the answers and information that you need before your purchase. As you surely know, there crystals are extremely valuable and you should know as much as you can about them before you buy them.




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1 comment:

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