No Blarney: Irish Designer Says Mall's Chandelier Is Authentic Waterford Crystal

The mystery of the crystal chandelier has been solved.

Three days ago, Irishman Bill Canning found Patch and confirmed that the Crystal Mall's chandelier is 100 percent real Waterford crystal. Canning was the chief lighting designer with Waterford Crystal for 25 years, and was responsible for building the chandelier.

“It was very real,” Canning wrote in an email to Patch, “and now a very valuable piece.”

The confirmation contradicted statements from Simon Malls, which said the crystal chandelier was not real after a test was performed. After hearing about Canning’s confirmation, Simon Malls Senior Vice President Ron Hanson questioned the earlier findings.

“We very recently have learned from a reliable source that the chandelier may in fact have been manufactured by Waterford Crystal, which contradicts our understanding of its origin,” Hanson said. “We since have taken steps to determine whether it is authentic. We hope to have this resolved in the near future, at which time we will determine how best to proceed with alternatives for repurposing the chandelier.”

The History

In 1985, the chandelier was revealed to the public in a massive ceremony with thousands of people in the audience, according to news reports by The Day and The Bulletin. The mayor of Waterford, Ireland, attended and gave the full impression that the chandelier was real.

At the time, the chandelier costs $30,000, or approximately $60,000 today, according to the federal government’s inflation calculator. Although money did change hands, the mayor of Waterford, Ireland, called it a gift to the people of Waterford, Conn., in an attempt to connect the sister cities, according to news reports at the time.

On March 18, Simon Malls held a press conference announcing its plans for a $10 million mall renovation. During the event, Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce President and former Waterford First Selectman Tony Sheridan reminisced about the chandelier and praised how Simon would keep it in the plans for the future.

Crystal Mall General Manager Karen Tarantino had to quickly stop Sheridan, saying that the chandelier would be removed from the new design. When Sheridan pressed the issue, mall executives said the chandelier had been tested, and it was not made of real crystal.

Since, Patch has made numerous attempts to find out exactly what test Simon used on the chandelier. All questions were directed to a public relations agency in Boston.

“Yes, suffice it to say that Simon had it examined and while it’s crystal, it is not Waterford Crystal,” Lisa Bell, a vice president at the public relations firm wrote when Patch asked what kind of test was run or what the chandelier was made of.

Neither the public relations agency nor the mall revealed what test was performed on the chandelier.

Worth

As mentioned, the chandelier was purchased for $30,000 in 1985, or approximately $60,000 today. While no one would make an assessment on the chandelier without reviewing it, price comparisons suggest it is worth far more than that.

For example, on Waterford Crystal’s website, the cheapest chandelier listed is at $2,500. The most expensive is a $7,500, chandelier that is three feet in diameter.

The Crystal Mall’s chandelier is over 10 feet diameter, and is much more elaborate and has much more crystal than anything on the website.

Canning suggested it is very valuable.

“It's the value of something like this, given the handcrafted aspect and that there’s nothing else like it in the world, that would make it a crying shame to lose,” he wrote to Patch.

Canning also said the factory the chandelier was built in is now closed, and it has “historical value.”

What To Do With It Now

Simon has said it would not have the crystal chandelier in the new renovation. However,  it is considering alternative uses for it.

“We appreciate the history associated with and interest shown in the chandelier,” Tarantino said in a statement. “We believe there are options that can and will be considered before making a final determination on future course and direction for it.”

No decision has been made, Bell said. Currently, the chandelier still remains in the mall.