Count your crystal and check it twice. Then bring that list and your Christmas Gift list to Kelly’s Home Centre to restock and learn about the finest in Crystal from Waterford’s Master Wedge Cutter Jim Buckley, Dec. 9-10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“As part of Kelly’s 75th Anniversary Celebration we are delighted to welcome Mr. Buckley who will sign all the wonderful new pieces from Waterford’s ‘Lismore’ Collection, the World’s most famous and popular crystal pattern. ‘Lismore’, first released in 1952, is now celebrating its 50th Anniversary…during our 75th Anniversary Year!,” says Mrs. Nancy Kelly, Vice President of Kelly’s Home Centre.
Mrs. Kelly continues, “Jim actually will sign, by engraving, any Waterford item purchased during his visit. He also will give talks and demonstrations each day about the most critical cuts of which he is the master, the difficult ones which add such sparkle. We are planning some very special events during his visit…to add sparkle to Christmas…with love from Kelly’s.”
Waterford Crystal collectors queued up on Mr. Buckley’s last visit to Kelly’s, in 2000, when he signed the magnificent Waterford Toasting Flutes he helped create and make famous.
“We are very proud to have been chosen to represent Waterford’s finest merchandise, and to give our customers the opportunity to learn more about its ancient heritage. ‘Lismore’ is loved by three generations of Waterford collectors and is indeed a classic,” says Mrs. Kelly. “‘Lismore’ is probably the most famous of all Waterford. Its range of stemware is one of the most popular ever. It is a classic crystal with simple cuts and balanced beauty. It is as fresh today as when first inspired by the Village of Lismore in County Waterford.”
In addition to the ever popular ‘Lismore’ Stemware, ‘Lismore’ pieces featured at Kelly’s for the 50th and 75th Anniversary Celebrations include the new and more contemporary ‘Lismore’ Square Vase and Square Bowls, the ‘Lismore’ small clock ; the 7″ ‘Lismore’ Candlestick; the 4 in. x 6 in. frame; the Hurricane; the Decanter, Champagne Coaster, 14 Oz. Tea; 11 in. Regency Bowl at $1200.85; the Square Accent Plate; the 13″ Thistle Vase; the 14″ Statement Vase; the 10″ Bowl; the |Scalloped Boat Bowl; the 14″ Urn Vase, the Ice Jug; plus many,many more patterns. Prices range from under $40 to more than $1,200.
‘Lismore”s name comes from an ancient Irish village dating back to the 7th century and originally called ﾌLios Mor Mocuda.’ By the 10th Century, Lismore was a great center of European learning, destroyed by the Normans in 1173. It is now a beautiful village with Lismore Castle, built by King John in 1185, as a prominent feature. It was built by King John in 1185 and has been the Irish seat of the Duke of Devonshire since 1748.
Jim Buckley is a native of Waterford, Ireland, the ancient Viking city which for more than two centuries has produced the world’s finest crystal. He claims always to have dreamed of becoming a master craftsman.
In 1975, his dream began coming true as he began his apprenticeship as a Waterford Wedge Cutter. He served the mandatory five years as an apprentice, then became a fully qualified Cutter. He earned the title of Master Wedge Cutter in 1980.
Wedge cutting is used for all the intricate cutting on Waterford pieces. The deep wedge cuts create prisms, diffusing light and intensifying its reflection. Workers mark each blank crystal piece prior to cutting, using felt-tip pens for a rough guide for the design. The cutter’s own feel and sight give the true guides to position and depth, however. A Master Wedge Cutter such as Jim Buckley must make the initial cuts on all pieces and is responsible for the most critical cuts.
Wedge cuts include the most fundamental “Upright Cut;” Waterford’s famous “Star Cut” and the “Swerve Cut, one of the most difficult as it must be completed in a single motion.”
Jim Buckley has worked on the entire Waterford Crystal range in his career, but now specializes in stemware, including the Millennium Toasting Flutes. Mr. Buckley lives at Slieverue in the neighbouring county of Kilkenny with his wife, Anne Marie, and two daughters aged 16 and 11.
“The Bahamas should be the perfect venue for Jim Buckley,” says Mrs. Kelly, as his hobbies include swimming, scuba diving, garden design, reading, keeping fit and DIY (Do it Yourself).
By P.S. News/Features
