The D. Paglia & Son Company is the
exclusive agent for Helmut & Heike Bussmer crystals in
the United States. D. Paglia & Son has been
commissioning “English” crystals for the past forty
years from the Bussmer family in Germany. Emil Bussmer,
born in 1908 in Idar-Oberstein was a master crystal carver in
the 1940’s through the late ‘60s. His son
Helmut Bussmer is considered the most talented
contemporary “English Crystal” carver in the world
today. Helmut’s daughter Heike has apprenticed the art
and received a “Master Craftsman” diploma in the
summer of 1999. Heike is working with Helmut now, and
her unique and innovative design talent is already taking
this art in new and exciting directions!
D. Paglia commissions the crystal
pieces and they are sent to them “loose”. The
talented goldsmiths at Paglia then begin the process of
creating handmade gold bezels and frames for the
Bussmers’ crystals.
Carving & Painting:
The Bussmers begin the process with flawless quartz crystal
cabochon stones. They carve the image - in reverse from
the back. This gives the finished product the dimension
that is so desirable. They painstakingly paint the
image in reverse - from the highlight colors to the main
colors, using brushes - some as thin as one human hair!
A flat Mother of Pearl stone is then applied to the back to
give it that special luminescence quality. No two
crystals are exactly alike. Each one is a
unique work of art.
Care and Cleaning:
Quartz crystal, the material used for carving, is a strong
stone, but it can crack. So take care to never drop
your crystal jewelry on a hard surface. Don’t
immerse your crystal jewelry in water as the painting is not
waterproof. Any jewelry repairs should be undertaken by
D. Paglia & Son. They are experts in cleaning,
repairing, and setting the crystals.
With a little loving care your crystal works of art will stay
beautiful for generations to come.
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