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Baccarat Crystal Has a Distinguished History
The table game, baccarat, is noted for its elegance and class. These days, thanks to the Internet, many more people can enjoy the game of baccarat than once was possible but it still retains its unique aura. Enjoying the exact same reputation for exclusivity and luxury is another baccarat - Baccarat Crystal - the finest crystal glassware in the world.
Over 200 years ago - in 1764 - King Louis of France allowed a glassworks factory to open in the town of Baccarat, in the Lorraine area of France. At first, the company produced windows and mirrors until the first crystal oven went into operation in November 1816. Amazingly, over 3,000 employees worked at the factory by this time, a relatively huge number of workers for the period. Baccarat's reputation was unsurpassed and many of its products were produced for royalty and other heads of state; prices were commensurate with the painstaking work and no one but the members of the highest echelon of society could afford Baccarat's extravagant glassware. In 1855, Baccarat won the first gold medal at the first World's Fair in Paris - it would be the first of many for the elite company.
The Mark of Real Baccarat
The Baccarat mark - found at the bottom of their products - was a sign of excellence. Production increased to include stemware, chandeliers and perfume bottles; by the early 1900s the company was producing over 4,000 perfume bottles a day (as compared to about 150 a day just a decade or so earlier). Years later, Baccarat started making jewelry and recently it launched its own perfume line. Its products are considered works of art and in 1964 the Louvre in Paris held an exhibit to celebrate the company's 200th anniversary. In Lorraine, there is the Baccarat Crystal museum, where visitors can see hundreds of gorgeous pieces (possibly the closest most of us will come to priceless Baccarat articles).
Most of us can only dream about owning a piece of Baccarat crystal - the prices are out of this world - though it is possible that the Elizabeth Arden or Guerlain perfume you use is, in fact, packaged in a Baccarat bottle. That little touch of elegance can make all the difference - not unlike playing the gambling game, baccarat, even if only online.
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