Duralex®: The secrets of French glass
Duralex®: The secrets of French glass
Do you see this Duralex® glass in your hand? Well, you'll find the same (or almost the same) one in every school cafeteria in France.
But not only that. Duralex® tableware is also widely used in cafes, bars, and even on some gourmet tables.
It must be said that we produce about 90 million glasses per year. And our tableware is exported all over the world.
So, this famous glass, imagine that right now, it's probably also in the hands of someone celebrating their birthday in Japan.
But also on the counter of a cocktail bar in Brazil, or on the table of a Canadian family chatting by the fireplace.
This glass is even found in museums. Some of our designs are, for example, featured in the Museum of Modern Art shop in New York.
However, we have to confess something to you... Originally, we didn't set out to make tableware 😅
The secret of durability
It all started in 1927, in the small village of La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin. It was during this time that the Duralex® workshops were built.
Except that at the time, Duralex® didn't exist yet. This factory was producing bottles for distilleries.
A few years later, the factory was bought by Parfums Coty. And the gigantic furnaces now melted sand to transform it into glass bottles.
Then comes the year 1934. The factory changes hands again, and within these walls, the Saint-Gobain group invents an innovative process: tempered glass.
Concretely, the glass is heated to 700°C. Then it is rapidly cooled by ventilation, making it up to 6 times more resistant.
To test the strength of this new material, engineers suspend a 1kg steel ball 1.50 meters above two glass plates.
The first, made of ordinary glass, shatters on impact. The second, made of tempered glass, manages to resist. This is the moment when the Duralex® brand is born.
Icon of design
At the beginning, we first used this discovery to produce lighting fixtures and windows for the automotive industry.
But in 1945, we had another idea: to use tempered glass to create ultra-resistant tableware. And that's when everything changed.
Our first model, the Le Gigogne® tumbler, was a global phenomenon. And in a few years, it ended up on every table.
Since then, everything has moved very quickly. In 1954, the Le Picardie® glass came out of our workshops. And its sleek design is now celebrated worldwide.
Other successes followed, such as our Manhattan cocktail glasses, or our Jazz range, inspired by the keys of a piano.
The most French of tumblers
But despite these successes, the Duralex® brand has remained true to its origins. Our glasses are still produced in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, in the same factory as in 1946.
All our products are stamped Origine France Garantie. And 99% of the raw materials we use come from France.
In 2019, Duralex® even obtained the prestigious Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label, which rewards historic French companies for their expertise.
Between tradition and modernity, we have continued to innovate. So much so that Duralex® workshops now produce more than 350 references of tempered glass tableware.
Life in colors
For example, we were among the first to produce colored glasses using the “mass-tinted” technique.
The principle? Instead of painting the surface of the glasses, we incorporate natural pigments directly into the liquid glass.
When it solidifies, it captures the pigments. The result? The color of the glass retains its brilliance, even after years.
In short, you've understood, we've been by your side for over 70 years. For small moments of life, as well as for big occasions. So thank you for your trust.
See you very soon,
The Duralex® team