http://www.theglassgallery.com - This company, arguably the leading crystal maker in the world, was founded in 1764 by Monseigneur de Montmorency-Laval, outside of the town of Baccarat in the Alsace-Lorraine district of Northern France. It is an area rich in forests, that originally fueled the fires needed for a glassworks. Founded to produce utilitarian glass such as bottles and window glass, it was originally named Verrerie de Sainte Anne.

In 1816, M. Aime Gabriel d’Artigues purchased Verrerie de Sainte Anne, and a furnace was lit for the production of lead crystal. D’Artigues sold Sainte Anne seven years after purchasing it.