The King's Awards Magazine 2023

Cumbria Crystal’s Grasmere Collection features in ITV’s Downton Abbey

All of Cumbria Crystal’s products are made by hand

And another thing… Cumbria Crystal’s Helvellyn collection is used by virtually all of the British Embassies and Consulates around the world for formal entertaining, and a whisky tumbler from its Grasmere collection was used by James Bond in Casino Royale. Did you know? • Glass can only be called crystal if it contains a minimum of 24% lead oxide in its raw materials. Glass with over 30% is called full-lead crystal; anything else is simply ‘glass’. • In order to achieve the highest quality crystal possible, the team at Cumbria Crystal melts its glass (a mix of high quality silica sand, soda, manganese, lime and lead oxide, the exact recipe a closely guarded secret) slowly over a whole weekend in its two 500kg furnaces. • Humans have been making glass for 5,000 years, and its origins can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia, now known as the Middle East.

Find out more about Cumbria Crystal, its collections, its factory visits and its online shop at cumbriacrystal.com

King’s Awards Magazine 2023

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