Know-How

At the Heart of Creation

The first furnace at the glassworks in Alsace where Lalique manufactures its precious creations was lit in 1922. Since then, Wingen-sur-Moder has always managed to rise to the challenges of different periods and breathe a refreshing modernity into the world of French design and industry. It remains to this day the only Lalique production site in the world.

Manufacturing

Thanks to a team of passionately committed designers, Lalique creates beautiful pieces each year that are inspired by three themes dear to René Lalique: flora, fauna and the female form. Once at the factory, the manufacturing process begins. A single crystal piece can require up to 40 different steps to produce.

THE ARTISAN AS ARTIST

Century-old gestures and know-how, passed down from generation to generation.
From the crafting of the pots in which the crystal is molten, to the hot glass workshop where the material is gathered and moulded.
In the seclusion of the workshops, the men and women of Lalique create between 350,000 and 400,000 pieces each year. Their expertise is the soul of the enterprise.

HOT GLASS

Where it all begins. The minerality of sand and the intensity of fire, the origin of Lalique's crystal and creations. The glass makers brave extreme temperatures in the hot glass workshops as they gather, clean, shape and reheat the crystal.

COLD GLASS

Water, pure and alive, an essential element for working and sublimating crystal.
The cold glass workshop resonates with a symphony of diamond-tipped saws working the crystal with water. The crystal’s metamorphosis continues here. The importance given to cold glass is characteristic of Lalique. It is the result of the extreme attention to detail in the sculpture and finishing of each creation.

LOST-WAX

The lost-wax technique: innovative, meticulous and secret know-how at the service of exceptional creations and works of art. The procedure, also employed by René Lalique until 1930, provides a unique texture and a peerless level of detail.

LALIQUE QUALITY CONTROL

The pieces are selected not only according to technical criteria (absence of defects) but also according to aesthetic considerations, paying full respect to the creative team’s intentions. During the entire process, each item is subject to rigorous checks before it can be signed by hand, a guarantee of authenticity and quality.

RECOGNIZED KNOW-HOW

This unique Lalique know-how has received the prestigious label of Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Enterprise, or EPV), a label of distinction awarded by the French State to recognize French firms for the excellence of their traditional and industrial skills.