The process began with a mixture of raw materials, typically including:  

• silica sand — the main ingredient in glass
• potash or soda — to help the silica melt
• lead oxide — added to make the glass heavier, clearer, softer to cut, and more brilliant

These ingredients were carefully measured and mixed, then heated in a furnace at extremely high temperatures until they melted together into a thick, glowing liquid. The molten glass had to be kept very clean. Any bubbles, stones, or impurities could ruin a finished piece, especially because deep cutting would later expose flaws inside the glass. Once the glass was fully melted, a glassworker gathered a portion of the molten crystal on the end of a blowpipe or working rod. Depending on the object being made, the glass was then blown, shaped, or molded into a thick blank. Bowls, vases, pitchers, decanters, and stemware all began as plain undecorated forms. These blanks were deliberately made thick and heavy. That was essential because the cutters would later remove a considerable amount of glass to create the deep patterns associated with American Brilliant Period work. After shaping, the piece had to be cooled very slowly in an annealing oven. If crystal cooled too quickly, internal stresses could cause it to crack or even shatter later. Once fully cooled, the plain crystal blank was inspected. Only then was it ready to go to the cutting department, where the elaborate Brilliant Period pattern would be marked, cut, and polished. The addition of lead was especially important. Lead crystal has a higher refractive index than ordinary glass, which means it bends and reflects light more strongly. When deep cuts were later polished into the surface, the combination of the lead crystal and the many angled facets produced the intense sparkle for which American Brilliant Period glass became famous.