(6) Cut Crystal D'Arques Durand Masquerade Champagne Flutes. 

Size: 2 5/8 x 2 5/8 x 7 3/4 in. 

Cristal d’Arques Paris is one of the brands of the Arc International Group, based in the town of Arques, in Pas-de-Calais. The operating company was originally called Arc France, first created in 1968. They produced stemmed glasses in real crystal using automatic manufacturing, which made them extremely competitive in the market at the time. The brand offered numerous collections, including “Versailles,” “Pompadour,” “Rambouillet,” and the extremely successful “Longchamp” line, launched in 1979. In 2007 Arc International ran into financial difficulties, and the owners, the Durand family, chose to restructure the various companies. Nevertheless, the global recession dragged on, and in 2009 all crystal production in Arques was stopped. The brand continues to be made, but now using Diamax, a proprietary synthetic glass material that matches the brilliance of crystal and is more resistant to shocks and mechanical washing, while remaining lead-free. On the verge of bankruptcy, Arc was sold to American Glass Holdings in 2014, but was forced to borrow more funds over the next five years, including from the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the CDC International Capital Group. Today Arc Holdings continues to maintain a facility in Arques with over 4,000 employees, with their focus shifting more and more to research and development in creating new and better crystal alternatives.