Gala of Vanities

Many years ago before the advent of electricity, activities were closely tied to the place where they were found. Glassworks were an example of this. They sprouted near rivers where there was sand, the man component of glass, and near forests, whose wood was used to fuel the furnaces. It is in such a place that Saint-Louis, one of the oldest and most refined glassworks in the world, has its roots.

The Münzthal glassworks were founded in 1586 in the beautiful Bitche region of Lorraine, but it was Louis XV who renamed it Verrerie Royale de Saint-Louis, a name with which it would pass through history.

The way to make crystal was discovered 15 years later and Saint-Louis became the prime crystal-works on the continent of Europe. Since then royalty has been amongst its clients, and it has produced some of the most beautiful crystal artefacts in the world, including glasses, vases, lampshades and a wide variety of articles for interior decoration.

In the town where it has been located for more than 400 years, everybody is tied to Saint-Louis in some manner, and the art and know-how of the greatest master glass-workers in existence has been passed down the generations. Every step, from blowing and working the glass to engraving and decorating it with 24-carat gold or platinum, is carried out manually by expert craftsmen.

Saint-Louis was acquired in 1989 by the Hermès group, which continues to hold it today. Clearly, when two companies of such calibre come together, expectations are high and results can meet them.

St-Louis-Lès-Bitche, December 2016