The glass art at Rogaška presents tradition and the highest quality of the glass products, as glassmaking itself is the symbol of life. Knowledge is at home where people know how to use raw materials given by the nature to create the fairylike transparent glass, full of light, purity and joyful beauty. Knowledge originates from masterful tradition uniting with the new and most recent technological achievements and the top quality design, i. e. the creativity that is resonant with the laws of the nature and glass. Uniqueness and originality best present the glass art at Rogaška.
TRADITION, HEALING WATER AND KNOWLEDGE
The glassworks is not a lonely island in the middle of nowhere. It is rooted to the place where glass tradition is at home and had long before been known under Donačka gora, the peak of which is under the protection as part of the European primeval forest, and Boč. In the vicinity of the glassworks there is healing water, too. This is at best confirmed by more than the threehundred-year tradition of the Rogaška Slatma spa, which ranks among the most eminent European spas. The nature is still untouched and the natives live with the nature, whereas other people come to seek health.
Apart from all the advanced technics and technology Man, i. e. a glassblower and a glasscutter, still represents the most important factor at creating such sensitive products. Manual work is the result of cooperation between a man and technics whereby professional experience is important throughout the complete process. Professions in glass-making are something special. They combine the old tradition of the talented people who had already acquired the beauty of transparence from old glassworks called "GLAŽUTE" and from natural conditions which might otherwise be achieved through knowledge only. The working team of glassmakers is getting younger very quickly. Young experts are specialists - each one in his own field of work. Special skills are needed to become a glassmaker, among which the attitude of the glassmaker towards the appropriate proportion between processing fluid glass and the desired aesthetics of the finished product is of utmost importance.
FROM THE GLOWING MASS... TO THE CRYSTAL GOBLET
We produce two types of glass: lead crystal glass sold as plain or cut glass and crystal glass sold as painted, plain or cut glass. Glass products are made of a special mixture of silicic sand, calcined soda, minium, potash and calcite or limestone. Also stain and discoloring material are added to those ingredients either to stain or remove undesired colours. Then the mixture is put into melting tanks where it is melted at 1450'C.
In order to model products suitable trimming tools are used which are constructed according to the plan. A glassmaker takes a small amount of molten glass into his blowing rod and starts producing the ball the expanse of which depends on the kind of the product he wants to shape. This ball serves for taking more molten glass into the blowing rod and forming it into the desired shape. When the temperature of the product is 500°C and the goblet is made, it is ready for cooling and final shaping. The cooling itself must be slow so as to prevent tension, which may cause cracking during further processing phases.
After the cooling, the over-blow is removed, the edges are cut and fire polished. Lead crystal is cut by hand. Glasscutters use classical grinding wheels, i. e. carborundums with different states of hard grain. But since 1972 diamond grinding wheels have also been in use and they are getting more and more popular. Then the products are polished by acids. IT IS The procedure that makes the surface of the product crystally pure and covers it with the brilliancy, that reflects the refraction of the sunrays in its noblest way.
NOBLENESS OF HAND - MAKING HARMONY BETWEEN FUNCTIONALITY AND AESTHETICS
The skilled hands of the glassblowers and glass-cutters produce a product with the nobleness which no machine could present it with. Different shapes and patterns of a product are the result of the creative and precise work of the designers and all the others who have during the different phases of production contributed to the final image and lustre of a product. Our products cannot be counted among industrial articles, where quantity predominates over quality. Moreover, we can say that some of our products have reached a high standard of artistic value. The noblest drinks are poured into our glasses, the best culinary master- pieces are served on our plates and our candlesticks contribute to royal spirits. The emphasis is on the harmony between the aesthetics and functionality, between the material and its spiritualized contents. The main idea is the experience and the valuables that we do not receive or give as a gift every day, but on special occasions only. Our products beautify our living, they are valuable things which we respect and appreciate as much as our dear friends, they stimulate us to joyfulness and make us more self-confident.
ROGAŠKA CRYSTAL PROGRAMME
LEAD CUT GLASS: The unique products and engravings, the products of small and middle mass production in different shapes.
BAR PROGRAMME: Whiskey glasses, cocktail glasses, whiskey-, wine-, and liqueur-bottles, round and angular bottles, the so called captain's bottles.
STEM - WARE Goblets for water, wine, champagne, ice tea, dessert wine, liqueur, cognac.
SUGGESTED GIFTS: Vases, bowls, plates, candlesticks, table lamps, paper weights, small perfume bottles and other products made to order.
PRODUCTS OF CRYSTALINE:
We offer most of the typical kinds of foregoing crystal products, whereby different techniques of execution are possible i. e. the surface of the products can either be plain, decorated or cut, the product may be adjusted to optical version or it may be painted. goblets on long thin stems, of elegant shapes and thin walls represent the speciality of the production.
All of the above mentioned glassware is distinguished for its clean colourness and purity, its fairylike transparence and, therefore, these are the two characteristic features representing the top quality of our products.
STEKLARNA ROGAŠKA ON FRIENDLY TERMS WITH SPORT
The presence of Steklarna Rogaška (The Rogaška Glassworks) at the biggest sports event in 2002 may be for many a great surprise. Yet real sports fans can tell you that Steklarna Rogaška has started to pave her way to Korea almost a century ago. Brand name Rogaška Crystal in the company with our selected football players therefore does not symbolise only the topmost products of Steklarna Rogaska but also the determination of generations of glassmakers to participate and support sporting events.
Local bowlers, cyclists, tennis and golf players, skiers, motor-bikers; and above all footballers and basketball players who have many times proved how persistence and team spirit can beat the giants from economically developed regions. It could be said that with such attitude they represent an inspiration to their factory which has taken over at the breach of the millennium a very courageous stroke – to bring the name Rogaška Crystal to the world. Please let us present to you the partnership between Rogaška Crystal and sport at the very occasion of the Korean Championship. Partnership due to the fact that the ways of co-operation are beyond traditional sponsoring or donating. Steklarna Rogaška with her skilled and committed workers, with imagination and crystal as material coincides with the needs and image of the topmost sport.
Planica jumps are the Slovene national pride. We are a regular producer of Planica cups.
Mountains of Pohorje is a "Golden Fox" winter scene for Women World Cup in the Alpine disciplines. Names of all winners are engraved on the cup. The best competitors get Rogaška Crystal presents every year.
Maribor was in 2002 the host of The European Judo Championship. We did our best for this occasion cause, we made very attractive medals. These Rogaška handmade crystal medals will be the topmost decoration in showcases of judo winners.
The European Sports Press Union awards every year the best sportsman and the best sportswoman in Europe. Michael Schumacher, Svetlana Khorkina, Pieter van Hoogenband, Inge de Bruijn, Tomas Dvorak, Gabriela Szabo and Janica Kostelić are among the winners who have won crystal cups made in Steklarna Rogaška (The Rogaška glassworks).
Björn Borg the legend of the world–tennis is one of the prominence who has our crystal cup. The cup was awarded from the side of the Swedish Sports Association as the reward for the best 20th century sportsman.
The joy of Union Olimpia basketball players at receiving the huge crystal cup for The Goodyear League.
Rogaška cups were awarded to the best cyclists who took part in the race called "Through Slovenia".
This year we have joined with the Football Association of Slovenia as an exclusive supplier for crystal cups and gifts. Our co-operation won't stop in Korea. We have plans to be fulfilled after the grand spectacle, too. We set an optimistic plan to be together also at the European championship in Portugal, 2004. Portugal is an important market for Steklarna Rogaška. We also made cups and medals for the finalists in the Slovene Cup....
