‘SON.Hyx’ Crystal Glass

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

SON.HYX TECHNOLOGY

SON.hyx is a new type of lead-free crystal, which produces much stronger stemware. In laboratory tests on the new material, the strength of the rim is improved by 37% and resistance to mechanical shock is more than doubled. In torque tests, which replicate the drying action of stemware with a glass cloth, resistance to twisting of the stem is 98% improved. In practical terms this means that SON.hyx glassware will incur fewer breakages than comparable crystal glassware.

The improved strength means sacrificing none of the optical qualities of the glass, however. On the contrary, SON.hyx is a totally light permeable material, absolutely transparent and totally colourless, reaching a colour efficiency of 99.99% - which is substantially the same as quartz. It means that light absorption through the glass is practically zero, ensuring that the true colour of the wine can be seen through the glass. The new material has acoustic properties associated with that typical of high-end crystal.

Furthermore, laboratory tests have demonstrated that SON.hyx crystal glass has an exceptionally high chemical homogeneity and resistance to industrial washing. After 4,000 wash cycles, SON.hyx crystal glass does not show any kind of visible alteration and retains all its original clarity.

PALACE & GOURMET

Gourmet and Palace add to two existing ranges, Magnifico and Atelier, which were the first to be manufactured from SON.hyx and launched to great acclaim in the autumn of 2007. Gourmet features an attractively shaped wide bowl, which narrows at the mouth to enhance and preserve the ‘nose’ of the wine. Palace is a classically designed elegant shape that is easy to handle. It works equally well for red or white wines. 

The two new lines of stemware feature in the Company’s 2008 catalogue, which is now available. This year, the comprehensive new catalogue will illustrate in full colour the complete John Artis portfolio of tabletop products and glassware. Furthermore, and in a change from previous years, it will also include the Company’s extensive range of bar equipment, marketed under the Artbar brand.