I recently found myself in a sticky situation. I was invited to my supervisors wedding. Like that wasn’t stressful enough I had the daunting task of trying to find a suitable gift for my boss. I didn’t know much about her personal life so I decided to not get her something that might have the slightest chance of causing a scene. No time for inside jokes. I only knew her professionally so I decided to get her something classy and elegant. Something to wow her at the wedding, who knows something she’ll love so much she might throw a promotion or two in my direction. So I hit the internet with not much of a clue as to what classy gift I could give her. I somehow stumbled upon the little tidbit of interesting information. Did you know that President Ronald Reagan’s infamous jelly bean jar was a Waterford Crystal? For some reason that stuck with me and I did some more research on the delicate treasure.

Waterford Crystals can be dated back to the Iron Age in Ireland. It is to this day one of Ireland’s most famous glass making contributions to the world. The crystals were originally produced in Waterford County Waterford in the Republic of Ireland by two brothers William and George Penrose in 1783. They quickly became world famous for their brilliantly translucent crystals which were being shipped all around the world.

Unfortunately the brothers couldn’t keep up with all the needless taxes which were forced upon their business. It took about a hundred years for the business to get back on its feet when it was purchased by Charles Bacik a Czech immigrant in 1947. He managed to open up a new factory located about only a mile from the original Penrose brothers factory and started reviving the Waterford Crystal company.

A survey was conducted back in 2000 to see just how popular Waterford Crystals are. 30,000 people selected Waterford Crystals as one of the top brands associated with wealth and fortune. Waterford Crystals beat out other brands such as Rolls Royce Bentley, Harley Davidson Motorcycles, Bose, Eastman Kodak, and Heinz Tomato Ketchup. Waterford Crystals are so popular they were chosen to create the crystal balls that are dropped each year at Times Square for New Years Eve. The giant orb weighs half a ton and consists of 504 miniature balls which are specifically designed to withstand the extreme weather during the winter.

While Waterford Crystals are known for their luxurious crystals they have also dabbled in producing many other types of elegant collectibles such as flatware, jewelry and porcelain figurines. They have a humble beginning with only a few dozen workers but now their workforce stretches into the thousands employing people around the world. The company as seen a revival of business when it was acquired by KPS Capital Partners, LP. Waterford Crystals will continue to produce luxurious collectibles which are enjoyed in castles to my bosses modest home.