Glassware Pricing Methodology

Fontaine values both its customers and product quality. We think everyone benefits from knowing what their money goes when they purchase one of our stems.

Manufacturing & Material: In Europe - where all our glasses are produced - recorded a 400% increase in 2021 in natural gas pricing. Then with the political climate, prices increased even more in 2022. Since then prices have remained consistent. Gas is the primary power source of the furnaces that melt glass and need to be run 24/7. Some of the manufacturing runs on solar, and we're hoping everything will eventually be fully converted but that's years away. We also use the highest quality ingredients for our crystal mixture which includes premium metal like titanium for our hand-made glassware instead of the more common aluminum.

Labor: Making glassware by hand naturally obviously means that plenty of elbow grease goes into the production. Quality control also adds additional work hours because a significant portion - up to 20% - goes in the recycle bin. And most importantly, all the incredibly skilled labor deserves a fair equitable wage and humane working conditions.

Other Stuff: On top of production there are of course additional expenses to run the business and the taxes we pay to the USA and numerous international governments.

Our promise to you is to keep prices as fair as possible, while staying dedicated to the quality you want and deserve.