First of all, a full-size technical drawing of the piece has to be hand drawn by our Design Director Lisa Gibson. This is used to make a wooden mould into which the molten glass is blown, to create the basic shape of the vase. The skilled woodworker creates this mould from a block of wood. The block is then cut precisely in half, to make a mould that can open and shut. When all is ready, the molten crystal is taken from the furnace and formed into an elongated shape that can be blown into the mould.

Eventually the Crystal shape is ready for cutting and engraving, a process entirely done by hand. This piece is heavy and demands great skill. After the ‘waves’ have been cut into the crystal, the Sea Creatures are first drawn onto the surface of the vase, then cut, polished and engraved; as you can see, many different very skilled artists play their part in creating this beautiful hand made piece of William Yeoward Crystal.