New York City is offering a unique piece of recent history for sale: crystals from last year's New Year's Eve Constellation Ball. These 5,280 Waterford crystals, each featuring one of three designs representing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, were part of the ball created to honor the United States' upcoming 250th birthday in 2026.
Starting Thursday, individuals can buy one of these crystals, with the option to have their names engraved on them. These will be replaced with new crystals for the 2027 New Year's Eve celebration, though the theme for that ball has yet to be announced.
The Constellation Ball itself was a substantial creation, measuring approximately 12 feet in diameter and weighing over 12,000 pounds. Each crystal takes about three days to produce by hand, involving design, molding, kilning, and finishing processes.
Richard White, a master cutter for Waterford, traveled to New York City to personally engrave the crystals. He will use a small, diamond-tipped electronic pen for this task on the crystal pieces, which range from 1.5 to 4 inches in diameter. White expressed excitement at being able to work directly with the completed ball.
Delfin Ortiz, general manager and senior vice president of One Times Square, described the crystals as part of "tomorrow's history."
The tradition of the New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square dates back to 1907. The first ball, created by Jacob Starr, was made of iron and wood, weighed 700 pounds, and was adorned with 100 light bulbs. Over the years, nine different versions of the ball have been used. The only exceptions to the annual drop occurred in 1942 and 1943 during World War II, when a wartime dimout prevented the celebration, and crowds observed a moment of silence instead.
One Times Square began selling crystals from the ball last year. This marks the first time, however, that these commemorative pieces will be available with personalized engravings. The prices for the crystals vary between $140 and $195, depending on their size.