Description
Baccarat, the older of the two dominant luxury glassware makers, was founded in 1764 by a wealthy French cardinal named Louis-Joseph de Montmorency-Laval. Montmorency-Laval created the company with the express permission of King Louis XV, who is probably best known for losing the French-controlled lands in North America before the Revolutionary War (and setting the table for a revolution a little closer to home). The company went on to make stained-glass windows, chandeliers and all the fancy-people-in-the-19th-century accoutrements they were commissioned to—including some drinkware. The quality of the crystal and craftsmanship of the glasses is unparalleled