Ebony & Midnight Mist Wine Chalices – A Marriage of Rare Beauties

Description

Some pieces just speak to you, and these wine chalices have a story that whispers across decades.

What we have here is something pretty special: vintage Gorham Crystal in the Midnight Mist pattern — that gorgeous smoky glass with the platinum rim that was produced in Germany for just five short years between 1969 and 1974 — given new life with hand-turned stems crafted from genuine Ceylon Ebony.

The Crystal: Midnight Mist

This isn’t crystal you’ll find at your local department store. The Midnight Mist pattern was discontinued over 50 years ago, and when pieces surface today, collectors snap them up. That elegant smoke-toned glass with its subtle platinum accent has a presence that’s both sophisticated and timeless. 

The Wood: Ceylon Ebony (Diospyros ebenum)

Here’s where Rex got to work his magic with one of the world’s most precious woods. Ceylon Ebony — also known as Indian Ebony — is the original ebony of commerce, prized since ancient Egyptian times for its deep black color and mirror-like polish. This isn’t just rare; it’s genuinely scarce. Export restrictions in India and Sri Lanka mean authentic Ceylon Ebony commands prices that can reach $50,000-65,000 per cubic meter, and it’s often sold by the kilogram rather than board foot.

The heartwood Rex turned for these stems is jet black with those characteristic grey and warm brown streaks that prove this is the real deal, not some pretender. You can see them in the detail photos — those organic ribbons of lighter color dancing through the midnight darkness. Ceylon Ebony has an almost metallic luster when polished, and ironically, the very best quality looks almost like black plastic (which makes us laugh every time we read that in the wood databases, because it’s absolutely true).

This wood is notoriously difficult to work with. It’s so dense it sinks in water, and it’s murder on cutting tools. But when it’s turned by someone who knows what they’re doing? The result is breathtaking.

The Reality: Nature’s Variations

Now, we need to be completely straight with you about something important. These stems were turned from reclaimed pieces of Ceylon Ebony, and like any natural material, ebony doesn’t come with consistency guarantees. Each piece has its own personality — its own pattern of those brown and grey streaks, its own subtle variations in the grain.

Rex worked carefully to create a matched pair, but the vagaries of the wood and the artist’s hand mean there is no such thing as a perfect match in handcrafted work. Rex & Dawn worked together for the design here and ebony is an extremely hard wood as well as rare. Rex could only turn them very slowly needing to rest his arms and hands and replace tools to keep everything sharp including the design! If you look closely at the detail photos, you’ll see the individual character of each stem. One may show more brown figuring than the other. The patterns won’t be identical. This isn’t a flaw — it’s the signature of genuine handwork using genuine rare materials.

If you’re someone who needs factory-perfect symmetry, these aren’t your pieces. But if you appreciate the honest beauty of natural materials and the character that comes from true craftsmanship, you’re going to love them.

The Specs

Height: Approximately 7½ to 8 inches
Materials: Vintage Gorham Crystal Midnight Mist pattern (1969-1974), Ceylon Ebony (Diospyros ebenum) hand-turned stems
Condition: Crystal in excellent vintage condition; newly finished ebony stems with hand-rubbed polish
Set: Matched pair (as matched as nature and artistry allow)

Care

Hand wash only — both the vintage crystal and the precious ebony deserve gentle treatment. The ebony will develop even more depth and luster over time with the natural oils from handling.

These chalices bridge eras and continents: mid-century German crystal craftsmanship meeting wood from the forests of Sri Lanka and India, all brought together in Rex’s Arizona workshop in 2025. They’re conversation pieces that happen to be perfectly functional for your favorite wine.

As always, we’re here if you have questions or just want to chat about the wood, the crystal, or why some of the most beautiful things are the ones that bear the honest marks of their making.