Brilliant Cut Glass
Brilliant cutting is an exceptionally skilled and highly artistic craft, passed down through generations via traditional apprenticeships.
Each design is hand-cut into the glass using diamond wheels, creating deep reflective facets that catch and scatter the light in a way that cannot be achieved through modern etching or frosting.
All of our brilliant cut pieces are individually handmade from flashed glass using authentic Victorian methods.
These panels were traditionally used as corner pieces in sash windows, fanlights, and leaded lights throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Below you will find a range of our standard brilliant cut designs, available to order in a variety of sizes.
We also offer a copy and reproduction service, allowing us to remake broken or missing brilliant cut glass from original pieces, photographs, or measured drawings.
Brilliant Cut Glory Stars
Our Brilliant Cut Glory Stars are handmade using traditional diamond wheel cutting techniques, creating deep reflective facets that sparkle when they catch the light.
These classic Victorian corner pieces are available in clear, etched, and coloured flashed glass, including red, blue, green, and amber.
Perfect for sash windows, door panels, and decorative leaded lights, each star is individually hand-cut, ensuring no two pieces are ever identical.
We keep a range of standard sizes in stock, including 102mm, 127mm, and 152mm square, and sets of four can be supplied for matching window corners.
For larger sizes or bespoke colour requests, please contact us for a quotation.
Prices are below
| 102mm Sq Glory Star | Each | 1 Set Of 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Clear/Etched | ||
| Red/Blue/Green/Amber | ||
| Clear/Etched | ||
| Red/Blue/Green/Amber | ||
| Clear/Etched | ||
| Red/Blue/Green/Amber |
For sizes that exceed 152mm Sq please email us for a quote.
Brilliant Cut Designs Available to Reproduce.
The designs shown above are part of our archived brilliant cut collection. Each pattern has been digitally stored from original Victorian and Edwardian glasswork, allowing us to accurately recreate them on new flashed glass.
These brilliant cut designs can be produced in clear, etched, or coloured flashed glass including red, blue, green and amber. Ideal for sash window corners, feature door panels or reproduction leaded lights, all pieces are hand-cut using traditional diamond wheel techniques.
Prices are available on application as cost depends on size, glass colour and thickness. Simply email us with your measurements and we will be happy to quote.
Have an old brilliant cut panel that needs replacing? Email us a photo and size and we can quote for a reproduction.
Brilliant Cut Glass Restoration
If you have a damaged or broken brilliant cut glass panel, we can restore it. Knowsley Art Glass offers a specialist copy and reproduction service, allowing us to recreate missing or shattered sections with complete accuracy.
Below is an example showing the original broken pieces and our fully restored remake.
Each restoration is priced on application, depending on size, colour, and complexity.
Incorporating Brilliant Cut Glass into Leadlights
Brilliant cut glass can be beautifully integrated into traditional or modern leadlight windows, creating a striking focal point that captures and reflects the light.
These hand-cut designs were commonly featured as corner or centre pieces in Victorian and Edwardian leaded lights, adding elegance and craftsmanship to everyday glazing.
Today, we continue this tradition by hand-cutting each piece to order, allowing customers to restore original windows or enhance new leadlights with authentic period detail.
Whether you require matching replacements for a heritage property or bespoke designs for a new installation, we can produce brilliant cut glass in a wide range of sizes, colours, and patterns.
Brilliant Cut Etched Panels
Brilliant cutting isn't only used for stars and motifs, it can also be combined with etched glass to create highly decorative brilliant cut etched panels. This traditional technique is often seen in period homes, Victorian entranceways, and historic pubs and bars throughout the UK.
We offer a full brilliant cut etched panel reproduction service, allowing us to recreate damaged or missing panels to match original designs. To accurately reproduce these panels, we require either a rubbing or a clear photograph of the original design, along with approximate sizes.
As shown in the example to the left, these panels are often found in older properties. The original panel was badly damaged, and we produced a faithful reproduction using traditional methods.
If you would like a quote for a reproduction panel, please email us images and dimensions so we can assess the work required. For reference, the panel shown cost £940.00 + VAT to recreate. (This quote was based on 2021 costings)
Frequently Asked Questions About Brilliant Cut Glass
Variation in Flashed Glass Colours
When it comes to flashed glass, there can be noticeable variations in colour. This is because the glass used for brilliant cut work has been produced in multiple batches over many decades, and the manufacturing process has changed over time. As a result, different shades of red, blue, green, and amber brilliant cut glass exist.
If you need us to match a brilliant cut panel to an original piece you already have, we will require a physical sample. This allows us to compare the shade accurately and choose the closest available match.
We also require a rubbing of the original brilliant cut design so that we can recreate the pattern as precisely as possible.
Do you offer custom Brilliant Cut Glass designs?
At this time, we do not offer fully custom brilliant cut designs. Brilliant cutting requires a precise pattern to follow, and each design must be laid out by hand before cutting. However, we can reproduce existing designs from original glass rubbings. If you have an existing brilliant cut panel you need matching or replacing, we can faithfully recreate it.
Brilliant Cut Glass Rubbing
If you cannot send us the orginal panel for us to copy a brilliant cutting, we will require a rubbing.
This enables us to get a better determination on the design and its sizes, if you're not sure on how to do a rubbing please watch the informative video.
Natural Glass Properties Of Flashed Glass
The mouth-blown, hand-rolled flashed glass we use for our brilliant cut designs is made using traditional Victorian methods. Because it is handmade, this glass naturally contains small seeds, cords, and slight variations in tone. These subtle irregularities are not faults, they are part of the unique character and charm of authentic flashed glass, and will be present in every genuine piece.
You can watch a video here showing how flashed glass is made. If you have original Victorian glass in your property, you may notice the same handmade features when examined closely.
Please note, flashed glass is significantly more expensive than our fired enamel alternative, so we are unable to send samples in most cases.
As flashed glass is very thin and traditionally produced, it cannot be toughened.
Brilliant Cut On Flashed Glass Vs Acid Etched On Flashed Glass
Many customers have acid-etched flashed glass but assume it is brilliant cut. The image to the right shows the visual difference between the two techniques.
Brilliant cut glass is created using a diamond wheel that physically cuts and carves the design into the surface of the glass, producing crisp, highly polished facets that catch the light.
Acid etched glass was traditionally created using hydrofluoric acid to etch the design. At Art Glass, we do not use acid. Instead, we use a specialist etching process that closely replicates the appearance of traditional acid etching, making it ideal for restoring or matching original Victorian flashed panels.
If your existing panels are acid etched rather than brilliant cut, we recommend this technique for an accurate and cost-effective match.
Learn more about flashed glass here.
*All goods will be supplied subject to VAT @ 20% When ordering any glass off our website please make sure you provide the correct sizes including the correct tolerances. We can not take any responsibility for sizes that have been provided incorrectly! Information on glass sizes can be found on our MEASURE UP page, or if you require any further information on measuring up please contact us we are always here to help.