The answer is Yes and No!

Let me begin to explain that with the current situation in Waterford Crystal Ireland, where bankruptcy has taken place and the workforce has been reduced to a minimum, little to no manufacturing is taking place and the company is just there to facilitate the tourist trail and the visitor center.

Now, you might ask what this has to do with the safety of purchasing a true Waterford Crystal product on Ebay. Let me elaborate.

From as far back as I can remember, Blowers and Cutters were allowed to blow and hand-cut their own designs, while the foreman or supervisor turned a blind eye, so to speak. Sometimes they didn’t. You might say it was one of the perks of the trade of being a craftsman, working for the now bankrupt crystal company.

Over the years, thousands of these so called “rogue” crystal pieces were painstakingly and lovingly hand-crafted by the masters and even the apprentices created one-of-a-kind gems, which were of no standard production line. They were then sneaked out under overcoats/jackets and took prize of place in their homes, for friends and family to enjoy and appreciate. No, they didn’t have the acid watermark or the seahorse logo. That does not mean they are not a true Waterford Crystal product, on the contrary, these pieces have increased significantly in value over the years and turn up all the time on Ebay and antique stores.

So, getting back to the question of whether it is safe to purchase Waterford Crystal without the acid mark or logo on Ebay, or anywhere else for that matter, is best determined by an expert, who will authenticate with true valuation. So many variables come into play and each crystal piece has a story to tell. Wouldn’t it be nice to know for sure if you are getting a genuine Waterford Crystal product and not some piece that was duplicated in China.

James Connolly, retired Waterford Crystal Master Cutter with 36 years of experience in the crystal business, will (for a small fee) authenticate and appraise Waterford Crystal found on Ebay, or anywhere else, by way of photographs and research.

James is also working on a “new website” to facilitate collectors of the famous Waterford Crystal Ireland, meanwhile, visit his site at www.waterfordcrystalappraisal.info

Do You Know What Your Waterford Crystal Is Truly Worth, Or How To Have It Expertly Appraised?

To have your Waterford Crystal appraised is not an easy task for Antique Appraisers, Auctioneers, or Estate Agents who are willing to sell off your family heirlooms at vastly reduced prices. These appraisers do a lot of guesswork as to what the actual value of your Waterford Crystal is and hope to satisfy their clients.

For Example :

Did you know that the value of Waterford Crystal Giftware was reduced in cost from the late eighties because of the introduction of diamond wheels with the straight cutting technique method? What this means is that the crystal was hand-cut in one stage and eliminated a lot of time to produce, which was good for the company, in comparison to the two-stage cutting technique of carborundum and sandstone wheels, where a piece of crystal was rough cut first with a Carborundum wheel and then smoothed out with a Sandstone wheel.

Crystal Appraisals can vary in valuation of 30% to 50% depending on lots of factors, one of them being the fact that more Waterford craftsmen hours went into each crystal piece, prior to 1986. Another factor is the period of when it was produced, whether it was a Limited Edition, a Master-Cutter Trophy piece produced in the Special Dept. or a Chandelier that was assembled in harmony by the masters of Waterford Crystal Ireland.

So, as you can see, lots of factors will come into play on how to determine and appraise the true value of your Waterford Crystal and a daunting task for general antique appraisers. That is why it’s best to have it appraised by an expert.

James Connolly is a retired Waterford Crystal Master Cutter/Engraver/Appraiser with 36 years experience, offering his services of expert appraisals on your Waterford Crystal by way of photographs to determine its true value. Contact James at his website
www.waterfordcrystalappraisal.info