The Brilliance of Fine Crystal
With over 300 years of heritage spanning 15 generations, Royal Brierley stands as England's most storied crystal brand. Since being founded in 1776 as an independent family operation, Royal Brierley has grown under the guidance of three eminent families - the De Henzels, Honeybornes and Silvers.
Over the centuries, Royal Brierley attracted the cream of the crop - creative artists and master craftsmen whose skills and artistry were celebrated worldwide. Though known as Stevens and Williams until the 1930s, the company took on the name Royal Brierley Crystal to mark its appointment as Royal British Glassmakers - upholding 300 years of handcrafted tradition.
Up until 2024, Royal Brierley enjoyed the rare distinction of holding two Royal Warrants, appointed as supplier to HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Prince of Wales. Its first Royal Warrant was bestowed by King George V in 1919, and has been renewed by each monarch since. In the next chapter of its illustrious history, Royal Brierley is now honoured and extremely proud to announce that it has been awarded the Royal Warrant to HM King Charles III after holding the Prince of Wales Warrant since 1985. This recognition from the Royal Households is a testament to the work and precision within every exquisite hand-made piece of Royal Brierley cut crystal.
The Royal Warrant is a unique tribute to the quality and craftsmanship of Royal Brierley' s full lead crystal and is your warranty that when you buy Royal Brierley you are buying the finest. Royal Brierley is a glassmaking tradition dating back to the 17th century when the Huguenots arrived in England fleeing from religious persecution in Europe. They arrived with little but their glassmaking skills and were attracted to Brierley Hill because of the availability of wood, coal and fireclay. The Huguenot glassmakers married into local families and by 1776 the Company known today as Royal Brierley Crystal had been formed.
The Making of Heirloom Crystal
Every piece of Royal Brierley crystal starts with the finest materials - silver sand, potash and cullet - heated to 1350°C for 24 hours. The melted crystal is then cooled to a workable state where our artists and craftspeople use generations of expertise to shape each piece completely by hand. The formed crystal is placed in a temperature-controlled lehr to cool slowly, preventing stress and ensuring the highest quality. Finally, our artisans meticulously inspect, polish and smooth each piece to perfection. The attention to detail behind every Royal Brierley design comes to life through the skills of our master craftspeople.
With a legacy stretching back over three centuries, Royal Brierley continues to exemplify the pinnacle of British crystal artistry and quality for the world to enjoy.
