Master carver to engrave crystals from last year's New Year's Eve ball sold as mementos

Dropped in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, the Constellation Ball was created with 5,280 Waterford crystals that incorporated three different designs to represent life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in honor of the nation's 250th birthday in 2026.On Thursday, people can buy one of those crystals and get their names engraved on it as a memento. They will be replaced with new crystals to ring in 2027 with a theme yet to be announced.It takes about three days to make each crystal by hand for the roughly 12-foot (3.7-meter) geodesic sphere that weighs 12,350 pounds (5,602 kilograms). The process involves the design, molding, kilning and the finishing of each crystal. Waterford, a longtime luxury crystal brand from Ireland, has designed the New Year’s Eve ball’s crystals for over 25 years. Some new crystals are swapped in every year.Richard White, a master cutter for Waterford, flew to New York City to engrave the crystals that vary in size from 1.5 to 4 inches in diameter. White wil