Onwinning form
Dartington Crystal’s first creation for the Queen’s Awards was a cut glass bowl.
Today’s more contemporary design features a stunning blue bowl on a clear crystal foot.
Iconic British company Dartington Crystal has the honour of producing the Queen’s Award trophy. Here, Commercial Director Richard Halliday explains how the much-coveted presentation piece is created… How did Dartington Crystal’s partnership with the Queen’s Awards first come about? Richard Halliday: Back in 2012, we were invited to tender for the contract to produce the Queen’s Awards presentation pieces. Over the years we’ve produced many prestigious trophies and awards, so were able to respond to the opportunity. It is a privilege to be associated with such high profile awards, and we recognise that each individual award will be highly coveted by its winners.
How is the trophy created?
Richard: Both clear and cobalt blue crystal are gathered in molten form on the end of a special steel tube known as a blowing iron. This ‘gob’ of crystal is then worked by hand to make it ready for blowing. The glass-blower lowers the end of the blowing pipe into a mould and blows down the pipe to expand the crystal (like inflating a balloon). The timing and strength of ‘blowing’ is critical to achieving the correct wall thickness and weight, and the forming and blowing has to be done quickly, as the molten glass can only be worked when it’s red hot. Once formed, the piece is transferred to a heat graduated tunnel kiln, known as a ‘lehr’, which allows it to cool very gradually over a period of hours. At the end of the lehr the pieces are inspected, and only those selected as ‘best’ are passed. The final stage involves the etching of the specific text and the Queen’s Award logo. This is done using a specially produced stencil, etching
Each trophy takes many hours of work by skilled glassmakers.
with fine sand blasted against the surface using compressed air. The finishing touch is the hand application of liquid gold paste to the etched surface. Once dried, this is fired on in a kiln and burnished by hand. Can the public tour your factory and see one of the awards up close? Richard: Our factory in Devon is the only large-scale production site for hand made crystal and glass in the UK. We are open to the public and welcome visitors who can watch the glassmaking and learn about our history. Within the visitor centre we have a special exhibition of our most prestigious products, including several pieces commissioned for royal events – so naturally the Queen’s Award presentation bowl is featured prominently. Find out more at visitdartington.co.uk
How has the appearance of the award developed over the years?
Richard: The first award we were asked to make was a traditional style cut crystal bowl. In recent years the design has become more contemporary – a combination of a smart, deep blue bowl sitting on a clear crystal foot. Are the trophies the work of one craftsman or a team effort? Richard: Very much a team effort. The blowing process alone takes a dedicated team of at least six skilled glassmakers. During finishing and decoration, the bowl will pass through many more skilled hands, and each bowl will take several hours of work.
The Queen’s Award trophy is on show at Dartington’s Devon-based Visitor Centre.
www. queensawardsmagazine .com
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