Charming Czech crystals

When you think of crystals, Indian consumers immediately conjure up images of Swarovski, Baccarat and Lalique. However there's a new kid in town: Moser, with its elegant crystal vases and timeless designs – since most of the artwork on the crystals was designed around 80 to 100 years ago. Even today, these designs that are immensely eye-catching, as one saw at the recent launch of The Silver Room in Mumbai, where the use of Moser colours was the main theme of 2018.

The colours that overlay and underlay the products are rose, green, reseda (yellow-brown), blue, aurora (orange), amethyst ; and the six-colour set of crystal – topaz (honey brown) aquamarine (light blue), eldor (light yellow), alexandrite (light violet), rosaline (pink) and beryl (light green). Intriguingly, some of these products change colour shadow from bluish to dark violet depending on the light, giving them a dreamy look. Also on display were luxury drinking sets such as Splendid, Lady Hamilton, Maharani, etc. "These have embellished the festive tables of Queen Elizabeth II and many other royal families and prominent personalities all around the world,'' says Pavel Cerny, Area Sales Manager.

The uniqueness of these crystals are that they are handcrafted and infuse traditional craftsmanship passed down from generations of glassmakers. "The time invested in the various products differs according to the number of art techniques used – hand blowing, shaping, cutting, art engraving, painting with 24 carat gold or platinum, and polishing. For example, one goblet from the famous Splendid collection has to be taken care of by 35 pairs of hands before it reaches the table of our clients," Cerny elucidates.

What's also notable is that the crystals are extensively hand-painted in gold, platinum and coloured enamels. The products usually have hunting scenes, wildlife and monograms intricately engraved on them. "At present, decorating with the use of precious stones – 24 carat gold and platinum – has achieved an almost exclusive position in painting techniques. Gold is hand polished with agates and bloodstones in order to achieve a high gloss," says Cerny.