It was King Loius XV of France who, in 1764, granted the Bishop of Metz permission to found a crystal workshop in Baccarat. In 1816, Aimé Gabriel d'Artigues, an expert in the field, took over the workshop and had a crystal furnace built, transforming the facility into a crystal factory. In just a few years, the company rose to become the leading crystal producer in France, and one of the most sought-after manufacturers of the material worldwide.

The fragile exhibits starred in a series of World Exhibitions, with the first customer lists reading like a Who’s Who of the era and featuring names such as the Maharaja of Rajasthan, the Japanese imperial family, the Russian tsars and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Innovations include crystalline chandeliers and coloured crystal pieces in 1827, as well as the production of perfume bottles in 1907. The first American subsidiary was opened in New York in 1948, and the first Japanese office in Tokyo followed in 1984. 1993 saw Baccarat’s arrival into the world of fashion with the release of a jewellery line, which was soon followed by hugely popular accessories and watches.

Creations by some of the most famous artists and designers around – each year a different designer produces an exclusive collection – offer a contemporary interpretation of French art de vivre, helping spread the ethos around the world. In 2003, Philippe Starck designed the Parisian headquarters, the Maison Baccarat, as a symbol of glamour and luxury. For his “Darkside” collection, he produced traditional Baccarat designs, such as the famous Harcourt glasses, in black crystal. January 2008 saw the company open its second “Maison” in Moscow, on Nikolskaya 19–21.

Text: Regine Smith Thyme

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