I first encountered encountered Hawkes Crystal at a pop-up shop at the Columbus Museum of Art. The shop sat on a sunny day in Derby Court. You couldn’t miss the sparkling crystal under the glass ceiling. These were not your standard crystal pieces. It was clear this cut glass work was that of a master craftsman. And in fact, I soon learned of Hawkes Crystal’s owner & Brilliant Master Cutter, Aidan Scully.
We are pleased to announce that Hawkes Crystal is now available at Argo & Lehne Jewelers. The collection will make you swoon & remember the luxuries of brilliant pasts. The romance of each piece is etched in craftsmanship. We love how Hawkes Crystal has taken the original T.G. Hawkes & Company patterns of past and has created gorgeous contemporary pieces perfect for interiors of today. 
The Earliest American Industrial Art Form
The allure of cut glass has mesmerized individuals for ages. The first known pieces can be traced all the way back to 1500 B.C in Egypt! Later, artifacts dating to the sixth century B.C. indicate that the Romans, Assyrians and Babylonians all had mastered the art of glass cutting. Slowly glass cutting moved to Constantinople, then to Venice, and by the end of the sixteenth century, to Prague.
Although in 1608, the first industry to be established in America at Jamestown, Virginia was glass making, no glass is known to have been cut in the New World until approximately 160 years later. Henry William Stiegel, an immigrant from Germany, founded the American Flint Glass Manufactory in Pennsylvania, and it was there in about 1771 that the first cut glass was produced in America.
T.G. Hawkes
A Brilliant Legacy: Hawkes Crystal from past to present
Thomas Gibbons Hawkes, born in County Cork, Ireland in 1846 to a prominent family with a glassworking heritage, emigrated to the United States in 1863. His career began as a foreman for glass factory Hoare and Daily in Brooklyn, New York moving with the company to Corning, New York in 1868.
Once in Corning, he soon opened his own cutting shop which was incorporated as T.G. Hawkes & Company in 1890. This on the heels of success the year before when Hawkes famously won acclaim and Grand Prize at the Universal Exposition in Paris.
European taste for sparkling cut glass at this time was emulated in the United States during the “Brilliant Cut Glass Period”. Over 1,000 cutting shops were founded to meet the demand and T.G. Hawkes & Company flourished. The company was in operation for 82 years.
The T.G. Hawkes trademark is now owned by Hawkes Crystal and are incredibly proud to be reviving the brand. Over 100 patterns were created by T.G. Hawkes, the most famous being the Nautilus, Chrysanthemum and Queens patterns.
Hawkes mission is not to reproduce original Hawkes designs revered by collectors, but to translate these original patterns and shapes into a new modern collection. To design hand cut crystal intriguing to new generations and traditional T.G. Hawkes & Company collectors alike.
Aidan J. Scully, Master Brilliant Cutter & Designer.
A native of County Cork, Ireland, Aidan is proud to have apprenticed under one of the first five apprentices of famed Waterford Crystal. Over his 30 year career, Aidan’s work has been featured in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and Toledo Museum of Art. Commissions have included pieces for Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, Senator John Glenn and Pope John Paul.
A Home in Tiffin, OH
Scully has acquired the Hawkes trademark and chosen Tiffin, Ohio USA as home to a new Hawkes Crystal Workshop and Gallery. A Midwestern town with a legendary glass making heritage, Tiffin began a partnership with T.G. Hawkes & Co. in the 1930’s. The Company chose the Tiffin Glass Factory (known for its exceptional quality lead crystal) to produce all blanks for Hawkes stemware and other designs.
Available at Argo & Lehne
To view more of Hawkes Crystal Collection available at Argo & Lehne click here. Crystal is a wonderful gift to commemorate many occasions. We also assist with gifts such as crystal glass awards, trophies and personalized gifts, including vases, bowls, plaques, clocks, nameplates, and paperweights with engraving.
