Under normal circumstances the “acid mark” or etch mark, with the name Waterford is on the base, or bottom side of all crystal pieces produced by Waterford Crystal Ireland.
Now, some of the reasons that it may not be there, include “rogue” pieces. These are pieces sneaked out by employees, yes it does happen! I will discuss this in a later post.
Other times it simply gets forgotten because its a “special piece” and never makes it to the final stage of acid etch mark. The acid mark is a stamp just like a notary public uses, except its laced with acid and rectangular in shape.
Sometimes, it just gets deliberately left out because of promotional purposes in Major Department Stores and Events throughout the United States, where it is then hand-signed with the name “Waterford” by the Master Craftsman and more times with the craftsman’s name. This is done with a small engraving tool.
But, the most common reason the acid etch mark cannot be found, is that it simply fades away. No kidding, when a piece gets old and the acid mark is on the base, it simply becomes faint and eventually fades away from moving it around.
If you start to notice small scratches on the base, which is normal, odds are its having an affect on the acid mark as well. The sun also plays a major role, if its left in the sun for too long, it will fade.
If your Waterford Crystal piece is over 20 years old, its possible that the acid etch mark faded away from wear n tear. Just one more thing, in the past I’ve had trouble locating the stamp myself, because it was faded. The only way I could see it, is if I tilted the piece at an angle, in the outside light on a sunny day. You might want to try that?
There may be just a part of the name “Waterford” left there. Think mili-meters! Also, not questioning your eyesight or anything, but maybe a fresh pair of eyes might want to take a look for this small acid logo.
Another sure way to find it is to get a magnifying glass with a “light” that is hands-free. This will certainly do the the job. The magnification will highlight the base of the piece and the light will show the acid mark, or part of the name “Waterford”.
Because its hands-free, you can hold your precious Waterford Crystal with both hands while looking. Good luck with your search!
This is the Magnifying Glass that I recommend to find your Waterford Crystal Acid Etch Mark and logo.