On the 31st of December each year, the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball drops to herald in the New Year. The New Year’s Eve Ball is a magnificent piece of engineering, 12 feet in diameter, weighing over 11,800 pounds, and comprised of 2,688 individual crystal panels. The triangles are custom-built to exacting standards to withstand the extraordinary stresses resulting from high wind, precipitation, and temperature fluctuation – all from 470 feet in the sky above Times Square.
In 2014, it was decided that up until 2023, all 2,688 of the Waterford Crystal triangles would introduce a new ‘Gift’ every year, beginning with the Gift of Imagination and culminating in 2023 with the Gift of Love. This year, 192 panels depicting the Gift of Love have been added to the ball, completing the theme of global aspiration whose values are universally treasured. The Gift of Love pattern is a series of interconnecting heart-shaped diamond v-cuts, representing the warmth and caring of humanity. This is encased within the triangle shape which represents unity.
The Ball is illuminated by 32,256 LEDs, capable of displaying a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colours and billions of patterns. The triangles feature cutting on both sides in order to maximise the refraction in the crystal by LED lighting effects, creating a spectacular kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square.
Waterford is honoured to be part of this show-stopping event for the last 23 years.
