If Duralex’s unbreakable glasses or plates were famous in Spain a few decades ago, the Arcopal tableware they were no less. The pieces of this French brand were as cheap as they were resistant, and that caused them to be present in many homes in our country.
Arcopal was born in France in 1958 at the hands of Arc International, a company that also created firms such as Cris d’Arques, Mikasa or Luminarc. In the case at hand, Arcopal, owes its name to the material with which the pieces are made: super resistant translucent opal borosilicate glass. In addition to Arcopal, the French company had other firms
In fact, Arcopal products were successful in Spain thanks to the resistance of the material with which they were made, since were durable so they could be used daily, and resistant to breakage and chipping. In fact, although Arcopal glass is very fine, it is up to five times more resistant than porcelain.
The key is the way of working the tempered glass, through a process of gradual heating and rapid cooling, in a process that is very similar to the manufacture of tempered steel used for the creation of high quality knives.
The other competitive advantage that made it possible for Arcopal to be present in thousands of homes, including the most humble, is that compared to other tableware that had to be bought whole, Arcopal could be bought piece by piece.
In order to sell its clients the resistance of its articles, Arcopal’s advertising in the 1960s was clear: “Solid in the oven, beautiful on the table”. Resistance and design, thanks to the different types of flowers with which these dishes were decorated, which dressed tables throughout the country.
The designs were evolving to taste over the years. Among the best-selling hits, the Verónica collection stands out with its blue forget-me-not flowers, or the Lotus collection, with striking colors that were the protagonists of the most modern houses in the 70s. The Fruits de France collection with its grapes or pears , or the Ronsard collection with its colorful flowers are sure to make many of our readers homesick.
Over the years, Arcopal tableware gradually disappeared from homes before the arrival of other more modern tableware. But they did not disappear. Although the most vintage models are a redoubt of collectors and flea markets and pages like Etsy or Wallapop, Arc International continues to launch new designs on the market that can still be bought in stores in our country.
You may be interested
- Set of six vintage Arcopal dessert plates. Price on Etsy: 26 euros.
6 original Arcopal dessert plates.
Arcopal 10-piece breakfast set. Price on Etsy: 70 euros.
Breakfast set, 10 pieces,
- Opal ARCOPAL Rhombal glass tableware 18 pieces. Price in Carrefour: 19.32 euros.
ARCOPAL Rhombal Opal Glass Tableware 18 pcs
- Crockery 18 Pieces Opal Glass Model Diana De Arcopal. Price in Carrefour: before
€37.50now 34.90 euros.
Crockery 18 Pieces Opal Glass Model Diana De Arcopal
- Tableware made of opal glass by Arcopal model Elisa. Price on Amazon: 30.01 euros.
Arcopal ELISA ARCOPAL – Opal Tableware 18 Pieces-6 People
Cover photo | Etsy
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