Topic: Crystal of Edinburgh, genuine or not?

[bibouille]

Hello everyone, I am not an expert in glasses so I hope you can help!

I have just purchased these used wine glasses which were supposedly Edinburgh crystal in an original box, but I have some doubts that they are real Edinburgh crystal...
They have no markings on the base is that normal?
I have looked at the discontinued patterns and could not find anything like these.
Any idea if they are genuine Crystal of Edinburgh and what pattern/style? Thank you!

Marianne

[chopin-liszt]

Hello and welcome! 

More recent Edinburgh Crystal has "Edinburgh" etched on the top of the foot.
I'm afraid it's very difficult to tell from your images exactly what the cutting looks like - it looks to be a very traditional sort of pattern - but I cannot even tell if they are pressed or cut glass.
The box and its purple satin lining are right!

[bibouille]

Hi Sue, thank you!
I did not see any markings. Would there be a marking on all of the Edinburgh crystal products?
I know the box is the original one...my worry is that other glasses may have been stored there 
I will take close up pictures this evening and this may help?
Just want to get a genuine product that is all. The galsses are nice, but I want to know what I bought 

Cheers
Marianne

[chopin-liszt]

It's a good long while since I have bought any Edinburgh Crystal. It was something I used to give as wedding presents, and the last time was long before I got interested in glass, so pre- 1998.
I can remember being very annoyed at the ugliness of the obvious mark on the surface of the foot of the wineglasses. I do believe that it is all marked, yes, but I am ready to be corrected.

The glasses I own myself (Iona pattern) were bought long before that, probably circa '92, have "Scotland Edinburgh" etched on the base - but it reads through from on top of the glass.

[Paul S.]

seem to remember seeing recently some glasses carrying a backstamp of  'Edinburgh International' - and the box or whatever that accompanied them stated that they were made somewhere like Poland or perhaps even further afield, but I now forget precisely.      I do remember being surprised that Edinburgh crystal was no longer made in Scotland  -  but suppose I shouldn't be.
I'd suggest that if these do not carry the word Edibburgh in some way or another, then quite possibly they aren't from that source.
Recent patterns/designs - those from the last 15 - 20 years should generally be on one of the replacements sites.

[bibouille]

Thank you Paul. Looks like this may not be what I hoped unfortunately...I have looked at almost 100 designs and none of them looked like this...
I have added more pictures, to help seeing what they actually are. I may be able to return them, as this is not what I had expected.
Thanks for any other ideas of what they may be (e.g.bohemia...)!

Oh and just for my own culture (as you may have seen that I do not know much about crystal), is the crystal on the base of wine glasses from crystal of Edinburgh always cut or can it be plain? Most of the designs I have seen are cut.

Thanks!
Best wishes,
Marianne

[user9318]

I have bought Edinburgh Crystal glasses in the same purple box that you show in the photos and the glasses were marked EDINBURGH with CRYSTAL beneath on the underside of the foot. They also has a purple Edinburgh Crystal sticker on the body. Hope that helps you in some way.

[Bernard C]

...   They have no markings on the base is that normal?   ...

Marianne — All manufacturers of hand-made glass made some unmarked, as there were always, until recently, big trade buyers who didn't want their glass marked.   Just think of John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Liberty, and Habitat, for example.    Also some manufacturers switched from acid-badged or sandblasted marks to labels, which can wash off, of course.

So no worries.

Bernard C. 

[Paul S.]

quote .............."is the crystal on the base of wine glasses from crystal of Edinburgh always cut or can it be plain? Most of the designs I have seen are cut".           
Assume Marianne that you are referring to the foot of the glasses - the answer is that feet can be both cut and plain  -  although looking at designs in the this link........  http://www.discontinueddesigns.co.uk/category.aspx?categoryid=7 ...  I'd agree with you that the majority are plain (uncut).    If you go to either the second or third design, on the attached sit, and blow the image way up, you should see a back stamp on a plain foot (to the right in the image).
Bernard is quite correct - however, to me it seems rather a contradiction ......on the one hand to have a rather lavish looking silk lined box - and on the other to omit the makers name  -  but that's commerce for you.
Should the box be lost or disposed of at some time, then the pedigree of these pieces will be lost  -  since as you have discovered, finding the pattern on the screen can be nigh on impossible.          Made all the more difficult as so many manufacturers created a pattern/design that incorporated a 'fan' cut.
Whatever you do, just don't lose the box.  

[Paul S.]

apologies...........I meant to say that "the majority have a cut design on the foot"