Expensive? Yes, at first glance the ornaments seem to be quite a bit more expensive than most, but very few take as long to create, and few are done with such care.

Each design is crafted by hand using centuries-old processes that require seven days to complete.  Cottage workshops in four countries – Poland, Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic – produce the ornaments, finials and garlands that are a part of the complete  Radko collection.  More than 3,000 craftspeople skilled in glassblowing, carving, mold making and hand painting contribute their talents to  Radko designs.

Once a design is conceived, it is submitted to a carver who works from clay or plaster.  The carver then gives the approved piece to a mold-maker. Using a Renaissance-era technique, a sand cast mold is created from molten metal. This becomes the mother mold, and the ornament making process can begin:

Day One:  the glassblower creates the ornament using clear tempered glass, which is preferred for its notable strength. Other ornament makers have used lower-grade glass, increasing the risk of breakage. There is a noticeable difference in the weight of a Radko ornament, making it more solid to the touch.

Day Two:  the ornament is injected with liquid sterling, another process done by hand. The “silvering” gives the ornaments their luminescence and sets them apart from other glass decorations.

 Day Three: the base coat of matte lacquer is hand applied: the white on a snowman, for instance, or the red on a Santa.

Day Four:  a second-coat application of lacquer is applied and adds the ornament’s other vivid colors.

Day Five:  fine details are hand painted, like the eyes on the Santa and the tiny seeds on a strawberry. With painstaking care, artisans take the ornaments from the realm of decorations to pure works of art. These personalized touches create the charming variations in each ornament making them one-of-a-kind heirlooms. No two ornaments are exactly alike.

Day Six:  a dusting of glitter is applied to give extra sparkle.

 Day Seven: ornaments are inspected to ensure the highest standards of workmanship. Finally, the golden Radko charm and custom-designed ornament crown, reading “R-A-D-K-O,” are placed on the final design. The ornaments are then tagged and carefully packed for shipment to the states.

Caring for your ornaments:

 The paint or lacquer used on Christopher Radko ornaments is water based. Do not clean any ornaments with water, glass cleaner, detergents or other chemical solutions all of which could smear the finish. Instead, just dust off your ornaments with a simple feather duster.

Ornaments must be protected from extreme temperature changes and humidity- conditions often present in unheated, uninsulated areas like basements or attics. Such unstable environments can cause stress fractures over time. Never store or display ornaments in direct sunlight, which can cause delicate pigments to fade. Instead, keep ornaments in a guest-room closet or some other temperature-controlled place.
Wrap these fine collectibles in acid-free tissue, microwaveable paper towels, or cotton batting and store them in sturdy plastic containers or sturdy cardboard boxes with secure tops.

Did you know that Radko is involved in many charities and disease awareness programs?

Each year ornaments are designed for a variety of charitable causes and are used to raise awareness for such organizations as AIDS research, Alzheimers, Animal Rights Organizations, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Breast Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Pediatric Cancer.

Additionally, Radko produces exclusive ornaments for self-promotion and sale by charitable organizations such as THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION, ST. JUDE’S CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL, and THE M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER, CHILDREN’S ART PROJECT.

So... expensive? Maybe to some, but to others, Radko ornaments are the most beautiful and cherished of all ornaments, and prefer no other.