A few months ago Dave and I were in Macy’s and I wandered over to the crystal stemware display. Boy, it sure was a lot smaller than when he and I got married! Department stores and nice jewelry shops used to have displays that took up a 30 foot wall; Macy’s was about 6 feet long and had maybe 50 different patterns
I found several attractive cut designs, both geometric miter type patterns and a few that were floral. But they had no etched stemware whatsoever.
Today I stopped in T. J. Maxx, and found this set of 6 goblets. They are fairly attractive, although obviously not top quality, packaged as a set of 6, two each of blue, amber and purple. They have a design that at first glance resembles etched patterns.
Colored Stemware with Painted Design at T J Maxx
Doesn’t this lattice design look like something we might find on an older piece?
Close Up of Painted Decoration on Colored Stemware at T J Maxx
The design is actually applied, not etched. You can feel that it’s raised above the surface, while an etch is inset into the glass. This would be a faster, less costly method that can be mass produced. Etched stemware requires skilled, trained artisans who can apply the stencils and the etching solution requires treatment before it can be disposed.
Have you seen glass like this?