A Paperweight Is Useful And Looks Good On Your Table Too

Need to keep important papers, bills and documents neatly organized on your study or office desk? Use a paperweight to prevent them from getting scattered. 

A paperweight may look small, but it is heavy enough to weigh down newspapers, loose sheets and even a couple of magazines. A utility item, an exquisitely-handcrafted paperweight doubles as a showpiece too. And, you can place one anywhere, on the study table or on the coffee table in your living room. 

Then and now 

The earliest paperweights, according to the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, were seen in Europe in the mid-1840s. It was the Great Exhibition sponsored by Prince Albert of England in 1851 that brought paperweights into prominence. With letter-writing at its peak, paperweights rose to global popularity in the second half of the 19^th century.

In the 20^th century, the art of making paperweights moved from traditional factories to studios where artists experimented with glass to create new styles. “Contemporary artists like Paul Stankard and Josh Simpson have taken the microcosmic ideology of the paperweight to new levels, creating highly-complex ecosystems and miniature worlds within paperweights using flame-working and furnace-working techniques,” says the Corning Museum of Glass. 

Options to choose from 

Besides glass, paperweights can be made of acrylic, marble and even resin. They come in a range of sizes and designs, from circular to triangular, with or without motifs, small or large. The price of a paperweight is determined by the material used as well as the design. Whatever be your budget, you can always find one that meets your requirements.