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20 - 'WHITCHURCH-STQUFFVILLE THIS MONTH" â€" See us on ‘www.stouflvifleonline.com’ NATIONAL WHERAPY Cannes mc. Puffin lulu/er [A]: 10775 "we! "NEH SUITE 404’ 0 ”MARKET ”962-2040 m rum-2w 'LRIS FASHIONS Silver Medal Winner ' “favourite Bridal Shop 2002 Readers Choice Award, North York Mirror <55 Wedding Gowns Brides Maids Mother of the Bride Holiday Evening Wear - Prom Dresses ‘ Casual Wear m mm WWW m mmmm Snow and sun bring December fun! | welcome inquiries about any objects that you may have and look fonNard to seeing and per- haps writing about them. Please forward a photo and a description to me through Whitchurch Stouffville this Month, drop it off at Reid's Antiques. 6397 Main St. Stouffville during regular business hours or via email at robert.reid5@sympatico.ca. we have a nice group of crystal pieces made by three different companies from the British Isles. Crystal is glass that has been made with a lead content in the mix. The addition of up to l0% lead gives crystal its characteristic brilliance. clarity and bright ring when tapped gently on the rim. Cut crystal is both hand blown and hand cut. expensive processes that make it a luxury product. One of the best known names in crystal is Waterford. This is a high quality flint glass that is often decorated with heavy cuttings. The original factory was in Waterford, Ireland and opened in 1729. This location closed in 1852 and about l00 years later Waterford reopened and is still in production today. Identification of the manufacâ€" turer of early crystal can be diffi- cult as the makers did not sign basic pieces such as glasses or decanters. Identifying the pattern ATTIC TREASURES... often leads to who made the item. All modern pieces now include the makers name and often the pattern on the bottom. Recently the Waterford Company has expanded their manufacturing to include items made in the Czech Republic (centre for production of Bohemian Crystal). These items (usually decorative pieces) bear the Waterford Stamp. but their paper label indicates the place of manufacture. Waterford continues to make all their stemware in Ireland. The piece on the left is 3 Perfume bottle (6 inch) with an elongated stopper made and signed by the Waterford Crystal company. It has a simple cross cut design and would have been made in the l9405 or 505. perhaps as part of a lady's dresser set. The vase is made by Stuart Crystal of Scotland, another well known and prolific manufacturer of both cut crystal Stemware, bowls and serving pieces. This piece is approximately 6.5 inches high and has a somewhat organic pattern combined with a traditional cross- hatched banding. The tumblers on the right were produced by a third company - Webb Corbett of England. The large glass is a pattern called Heritage while the pattern of the two smaller glasses is Portland. While it is difficult to see a differ- Due to its fragile nature all glass and crystal must be scrupu- lously free of chips, cracks and waterstains for resale and colâ€" lectible value. Even 50. crystal is highly undervalued as a col- lectible in North America, as com- pared to pressed glass from the first half of the 20th century. This may be in part due to the lack of a major crystal manufacturing indus- try. ence in the photo. facets on the large glass are frosted. while the smaller two are polished finish. by Rob Reid .. Silver Medal Winner ' \favourite Bridal Shop 2002 Readers Choice Award, North York Minor Modern crystal holds its value best when signed (usually an etched signature on the base). Small decorative items such as the perfume bottle and vase would be priced in the range of $50 to $100. Stemware such as the tumblers ranges from $15â€"$50 per glass, according to the popularity of the pattern and the function of the piece. Rob Reid is the owner of Reid's Antiques and Consignment on Stoufl‘vifle's Main St. DECEMBER 2003