Zwiesel Kristallglas AG company was founded in 1872, in the German city of Zwiesel. Located in the Bavarian forest, this city has been the cradle and the center of German glassmaking since the 15th century. People living in this region have a deep sense of history and culture, being devoted to glass manufacturing for almost 600 years. Their craftmanship, in-depth knowledge and passion for the mysteries of glassmaking make them invaluable to Zwiesel Kristallglas AG. Both the company name and the brand name "Zwiesel 1872", launched in 2005, reflect this deep and unique connection, it represents modernism, dynamism, efficiency and perfection. Zwiesel Kristallglas sells its products in over 120 countries, being the supplier of many hotel chains, airlines and cruise lines.
In 1961 the company introduced the first fully automated production line and in 2002 the company brought the "Tritan" technology to the market.
The "Tritan" technology is clearly better than the traditional methods of making drinking glasses from crystal, both by the chemical composition but also by the manufacturing process. In manufacturing the ordinary crystal, lead oxide is used as the main substance, but in order to create a high quality crystal, Zwiesel Kristallglas company chose to use titanium, along with other elements such as sodium carbonate, sand, feldspar, zinc oxide and aluminum. Moreover, one of the manufacturing processes involves the controlled burning of the three areas prone to chipping: the edge of a drinking glass, the joint area between the drinking cup and the foot and the joint area between the foot and the lower stand (see the image below). Size and weight are specifically designed to give you a perfect balance when using your hand to lift a drinking glass. For finishing, a LASER technology is used, that levels the edge of the drinking glass and removes imperfections, improving the shape of the drinking glass which in turn improves the flavor of the drinks. The crystal produced by Zwiesel Kristallglas through this technology has a very high mechanical resistance, scratch resistance, great clarity and also makes it possible to wash in dishwashers.
From the point of view of environmental protection, crystal made by "Tritan" technology is compliant with SIO 14001:2004 norms since 2008, subsequently the compliance being extended to cover the ISO 14040:2009 standard.