Saint-Louis
Mouth-blown crystal, hand-cut and hand-decorated. Tableware, lighting, decor, exceptional pieces.
440 years on the same site, Hermès stability since 1989, exceptional mouth-blown crystal.
Philosophy
France's first crystal house (1781). What Baccarat could have remained with stable ownership. Hermès since 1989, everything produced in Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche.
History
Munzthal valley, Northern Vosges, 1586. A glassworks settles in the heart of the forest. Wood for furnaces, silica-rich sand for glass. The Thirty Years' War devastates everything, the glassworks goes silent. It's reborn, and in 1767, Louis XV grants it letters patent and the title of Royal Glassworks of Saint-Louis.
1781, the decisive milestone. M. de Beaufort, former director, discovers crystal's composition while seeking the finest, most transparent glass possible. Only England held the lead crystal secret. The Royal Academy of Sciences reports the achievement in a document signed by Condorcet. Saint-Louis becomes France's first crystal house. Commissions for European courts pour in, exhibition medals accumulate.
Saint-Louis is what Baccarat could have remained with stable ownership. Same excellence in mouth-blown crystal, same historic prestige. But where Baccarat passed from Starwood to a Chinese fund in liquidation, Saint-Louis joined Hermes in 1989 and hasn't moved since. Among enthusiasts, owners describe 'beautiful quality' pieces, the Folia lamp is a desire object. The Tommy glass (1928) is to crystal what Harcourt is to Baccarat - a timeless classic. Price is high - a tumbler can exceed 1,000 dollars - but that's the price of an object blown, cut and decorated by hand at the same site for 440 years.
For us, the safest choice in crystal: same craftsmanship as Baccarat, without the turbulence.
Iconic Products
Verre Tommy
Created in 1928, the Tommy glass is Saint-Louis' best-seller. Clear crystal cut with round discs inspired by cork-shooting, it became an absolute classic of tableware. Available in colored overlay versions.
Presse-papier millefiori
The millefiori paperweight, a Saint-Louis tradition since the 19th century. Hundreds of colored glass canes assembled hot into geometric and floral patterns. Highly sought-after collector pieces.