Duralex® : The secrets of French glass
See that Duralex® glass in your hand? Well, it's (almost) the same in every canteen in France.
But that's not all. Duralex® tableware is also widely used in cafés, bars and even on some gourmet tables.
We make almost 90 million glasses a year. And our tableware is exported all over the world.
So this famous glass is probably in the hand of someone celebrating their birthday in Japan at the moment.
But also on the counter of a cocktail bar in Brazil, or on the table of a Canadian family chatting by the fire.
This glass can even be found in museums. Some of our designs, for example, are featured in the boutique of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
But we have to tell you something... Originally, we didn't set out to make crockery at all 😅
The secret of solidity
It all began in 1927, in the small village of La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin. It was at this time that the Duralex® workshops were built.
Except that Duralex® didn't yet exist. The factory manufactured carboys for distilleries.
A few years later, the factory was bought by Parfums Coty. And the gigantic furnaces now melt the sand to transform it into glass bottles.
The year 1934 arrived. The factory changed hands once again, and it was here that the Saint-Gobain group invented an unprecedented process: tempered glass.
In practical terms, the glass is heated to 700°C. It is then rapidly cooled by ventilation, making it up to 6 times more resistant.
To test the strength of this new material, the engineers suspended a 1kg steel ball 1.50 metres above two glass plates.
The first, made of ordinary glass, shatters on impact. The second, made of toughened glass, managed to resist. It was at this point that the Duralex® brand was born.
Design icon
In the early days, this discovery was first used to produce lighting and glass for the automotive industry.
But as early as 1945, they had another idea: to use tempered glass to create ultra-resistant crockery. And that's when everything changed.
Our first model, the Le Gigogne® tumblerwas a global phenomenon. And in the space of just a few years, it has found its way onto every table.
Since then, things have moved very quickly. In 1954, the Le Picardie® glass comes out of our workshops. And its sleek design is now celebrated the world over.
Other successes have followed, such as our Manhattan cocktail glassesor our range JazzThe design is inspired by the keys on 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 Guaranteed French Origin. And 99% of the raw materials we use come from France.
In 2019, Duralex® was even awarded the prestigious Living Heritage Company labelwhich rewards historic French companies for their expertise.
However, we have continued to innovate between tradition and modernity. As a result, the Duralex® workshops now produce over 350 different types of tempered glass tableware.
Life in colour
For example, we were among the first to produce coloured lenses using the "mass-coloured”.
How does it work? Instead of painting the surface of the glass, we incorporate natural pigments directly into the liquid glass.
When it solidifies, it captures the pigments. And the result? The colour of the glass retains its brilliance, even after years.
So you see, we've been at your side for over 70 years. For the little moments in life, and for the big occasions. So thank you for your confidence.
See you soon,
The Duralex® team
