Where Does Downton Abbey Meet Mad Men? Why Fine Crystal is Fashionable Now.

These hit TV series are watched with fascination all round the world for their fabulous acting and wonderful period settings. The roaring twenties for Downton Abbey and the swinging sixties for ad based drama Mad Men. Superficially they are chalk and cheese, but together they have re-popularised fine cut crystal glassware. Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham quaffs fine single malt whisky in his cut glass tumbler, while Don Draper who plays the ruthless Jon Hamm drinks Canadian Club from his crystal tumbler. Draper’s whisky is a tribute to the power of advertisng rather than its superlative quality and it chimes perfectly with the TV dinners advertising executives made into success during the 1950s and 60s.

These hugely watched series are driving interest in craftsman made glassware as young people are using them every day, rather than just for special occasions. These days, they’re gaining a new audience. Once fine decorative cut crystal was felt to be out of tune with modern decorative styles and contemporary taste, as it was seen as something from another time. It was something to put on the wedding list, and to be used little thereafter, taken out for visitors if at all. But now traditional luxury is something many people hanker after, especially when they’ve seen it on the telly.  Good taste is ‘in’ and craft is ‘in.’ Artisan skills are becoming ever more valued as we move into a post industrial world where concern is for the desirable not the utilitarian.  Now crystal has another chance to shine. And if you want to add a little to your drinking experience try our tots and tots sets https://www.jamespirie.com/royal-scot-crystal/giftware/tots-tot-sets.html which is a great place to start adding a touch of luxury to life’s everyday experience. See what suits you and yours before you go the whole hog and get a full set!