Hand-blown glass is an art shaped by the maker's breath, and every piece differs from the next in small, human ways. How do you know a piece is genuinely handmade?
1. The pontil mark
On the base of blown glass you'll find a small rough or polished scar where the piece was separated from the rod. This 'pontil mark' is the signature of handwork; machine-made glass has a perfectly flat base.
2. Tiny air bubbles
Occasional tiny bubbles trapped in the glass are a natural result of hand production — considered character, not defect.
3. Gentle asymmetry
The rim of a hand-blown vase may not measure a perfect circle; wall thickness can vary subtly. Put two 'identical' pieces side by side and you will spot small differences — mass production never allows that.
4. No mould seams
Machine glass carries a fine seam line running up the body where the mould halves met. Free-blown glass has no such line.
5. Ring and weight
Handmade glass can be unexpectedly light or satisfyingly heavy depending on the maker's intent, and it usually rings longer and warmer when tapped gently.
The blown-glass vases and carafes in our collection carry these marks with pride. Each one is unique — just like your table.
Why is handmade glass worth more?
A blown-glass piece is shaped one at a time, at the furnace, with years of accumulated skill. Producing the exact same form twice is impossible; the piece you buy is literally one of a kind in the world. That uniqueness gives handmade glass both collectors' value and emotional weight as a gift.
The second source of value is time: while a machine presses dozens of glasses a minute, a master glassblower may spend hours on a single vase. The days-long controlled cooling in an annealing kiln is the invisible cost — skip it and the glass cracks at its first thermal shock.
Does handmade glass need different care?
Fundamentally no: lukewarm water, mild soap and hand-washing are the golden rules here too. Because wall thickness varies in handwork, blown glass is slightly more sensitive to sudden temperature changes — never pour boiling water into a vase straight from a cold room.
Where the pontil mark is left rough, a thin felt pad protects your furniture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is glass with air bubbles defective?
No. Occasional tiny bubbles are the natural signature of handwork and count as a mark of authenticity. A defect only exists where a crack or deep scratch compromises structural integrity.
What's the difference between handmade and hand-decorated glass?
In hand-decorated glass the body is machine-made and only the pattern is applied by hand. In handmade (blown) glass, the form itself is shaped by the maker's breath. Both involve craft, but only the latter is truly 'handmade'.
Why can blown glass be lighter or heavier than machine glass?
The maker sets the wall thickness: some forms are blown whisper-thin for elegance, others left full for presence. In machine glass that measurement is fixed by the mould — in handwork it is a design decision.