The Clear and the Coloured
One Chalet standard was vibrant, eye-catching colour. Another was the clarity of their clear crystal. I thought it would be interesting to look which exact same forms were produced in each. However, I was not sure, until I started compiling the photos for this article, if there would be enough forms that were done in both to justify an article. The answer is – there certainly are! Moreover, I bet that you will find some surprises as you read through. There are detailed articles on many of the forms and topics in this article. Links to these are provided.
I have sorted the clear and the coloured forms into four categories – animals, bonboniere, and larger mouth and hand-blown forms.
The Animal Figurines
Both clear and coloured duplicate animal figurines are quite plentiful – I have 21 different forms on file to date. Some are very rare in clear (the squirrel, the chick, the mountain goat) while others are commonplace – polar bears, geese, and elephants come instantly to mind here. And others like the songbirds, the whale and the seal fall in the middle.
I was so surprised to find the Chalet chick, inventory #704, in my “crystal clear animal figurine” files as I had forgotten about this little one. The chick is a very common find in coloured combinations but not so in clear crystal.
Photographs of clear chick figurine courtesy of 50 Shades member Cathy Antonyshyn.
The Chalet squirrel, inventory #616, is the same – common in coloured, uncommon in clear.
The Chalet deer figurine is exceedingly rare in either coloured or clear.
From the collection of 50 Shades member Bob Burgess.
As is inventory # 623 - the Chalet mountain goat.
The clear crystal mountain goat figurine is from the collection of 50 Shades member Jo Highland. To date, it is the only one of which I am aware.
The Chalet buffle head duck is inventory #620 and obviously another of the animal figurines produced in both clear crystal and 2-tone colour combinations. The “Canadiana Wildlife” hang tag is not often retained. The duck is one of the figurines depicted on this label.
As was #618 – one of the Chalet swan poses. The swan appears to be the most oft produced animal in the Chalet repertoire. It can be found as a bonboniere and both large and small figurines. In many different styles and colours.
Note the tail variation.
Also seen frequently in clear or coloured are Chalet’s Canada Geese. Each of these poses are found on a Chalet inventory sheet. The “head up is #563 and the “head down” is #564.
The “Halloween” pose of the Chalet cat is yet another example. A “mini” version of the clear crystal cat is also seen. However, we have not seen a piccolo coloured.
The clear crystal cat also retains a price sticker from Boscov’s. An American department store chain still operating today.
Another pair to show you.
The clear crystal Chalet elephant is a common find but the cranberry green 2-tone colour combination shown here alongside is exceedingly rare.
Chalet also had an owl “jones.” Here are just 3 of the styles. And – once more, in both clear and coloured versions.
The “Buddha belly” at left, the “pointed ears in middle (coloured owl from the collection of David Dunkley) and the “round head” which is Chalet #617 at right. Note both its rare colouring and marking.
While the Chalet clear crystal seal is scarce, the coloured seal is not a rare figurine. However, a curious fact is that, to date, it has only been found in the bright green/blue 2-tone combination.
Chalet polar bears are plentiful. In either style and in both clear and coloured versions.
Crystal polar bear at top left from the collection of 50 Shades member Pina Pina while the coloured bear figurine at bottom right roams the ice floes of Wallace Addison White. Both poses are also found on the same Chalet inventory sheet as the other animal figurines. “Head up” being #605 and “head down” number #623.
The 3 Chalet songbirds are also found in both clear crystal and coloured versions. We only have inventory numbers for two of the styles.
At left is the “split tail” which is the style for which we have no inventory number. The clear figurine at top is from the collection of Tracey Court and the coloured from the flock of Marta Michalowski. The clear “fantail” (top middle) is #703 and this photograph courtesy of Alex Wicks. Again, the coloured bird belongs to Marta. The “single tail” is inventory #701. They are at top and bottom right.
The Chalet whale is inventory #614. Another of the animals depicted on the Canadiana Wildlife” hang tag. As well as being found in clear crystal and 2-tone coloured combinations, a few solidly coloured whale figurines have been found. This is also true for the Chalet cat, the style of fish shown earlier, the “trunk up” elephant, and the “fantail” songbird.
Moving on to the Chalet bonbonniere
I have fewer than expected examples here – 12 forms duplicated in both clear crystal and solid colours.
The basket Chalet bonbonniere is iconic and produced in different styles. Here are 3 differing styles that we have found in both clear and coloured.
The first style at left is not shown on either of the Chalet bonbonniere pages I possess. The style in the middle came in 3 different heights – 4, 6 and 8 inches. The clear one at top is 6” and is inventory #1037 and the coloured at bottom is an 8” piece. Its inventory number is #1039. The flatter, wider basket shown at right is inventory #1008.
The Chalet owl bonboniere is one of the more quirky bonboniere.
The clear crystal is typically significantly larger than the coloured. Both are from my personal collection.
There are many styles of bonboniere candleholders. The swan form was one such. Note the difference between the swan candleholder bonboniere at left and the swan bonboniere at right. The candleholder form has a flat base while the other does not.
The clear crystal swan bonbonniere candleholder at top left is from the collection of Chalet bonbonniere Master Roberto De Marchi. Photograph of the coloured version beneath is courtesy of Daniel Lynch. The clear and the coloured swan bonbonniere at right is Chalet inventory #1041.
There were two separate styles of clear and coloured fish bonbonniere. A raised elevated, crested form and a flatter more dish-like style.
The first form – another very kicky style. Note the varying sizes. These from a fish school of Gionny Gueli.
The second style of fish bonboniere.
The clear piece at left is from the collection of Lorne Olafson and Darcy Dietrich.
The gallery directly below shows 2 distinct styles of bonboniere. A “finger tip” and a bird in flight. Again, both of these forms were done in clear and coloured glass and in varying sizes.
This trio is an excellent example of both size and colour variation. Gionny Gueli has a bird feeder for these.
The Chalet “shell” bonboniere is another of those instantly recognized Chalet pieces. It was produced in 2 different styles and in different sizes. The ones shown here are style #1009 and are the smallest of 3 sizes – 3 ½ in diameter.
The clear crystal piece is from the collection of Ella Hanks and the coloured pair belong to Jo Highland.
The “flower” bonboniere is a rarer form. It was made in two sizes and given separate inventory numbers.
The coloured flower bon at right is from the collection of Kim Tersteeg.
Mouth-blown forms
The two mouth-blown forms I can show that were done in both clear and coloured are both fruit. The Chalet apple and the lemon.
Coloured apple at right from the collection of Jo Highland. Note that the apple with the coloured stem and leaf is a very rare piece. All the fruit were given a shared inventory number of #544.
The lemon in clear or coloured is exceedingly rare.
Note the a ghiaccio “crackle” finish. This was given to me by Chalet Maestro Giulio Gatto – a piece he personally blew at Chalet. I treasure it.
Hand-blown forms
Hand-blown duplicates in clear and coloured are the most numerous – 25 forms on file presently.
We have seen one style of ashtray to date.
Clear ashtray at left from the collection of Carol Fox. Ashtray at right from my personal collection. It bears an engraved, not etched, “Chalet Canada” signature. For more information regarding Chalet branding and indica, please see “Chalet Crystal Clear Continued.”
Two styles of baskets have been found.
The clear basket at left is the only one of this style that I have seen. It belongs to Cindy Bishop Laughlin. The basket style at right is more common. The clear from the collection of David Mackie and the coloured from that of Dwain Robertson.
A “banana boat” centerpiece.
Cranberry in crystal piece at right also from the collection of Cindy Bishop Laughlin.
Found in both clear and coloured as well have been two styles of the Chalet bells.
The Don Shepherd for Chalet bottles and vases were commonly done in both clear and crystal.
Clear crystal bottle and vase from the collection of Deborah Patterson. Coloured vase at right from the collection of Maestro Giulio Gatto.
Bottles from past and present collections of Deborah Patterson.
An October 2025 Don Shepherd pieces display by Deborah Patterson.
These 2 Don Shepherd for Chalet vases from the collection of Jo Highland.
Clear crystal ring trees are not common. However, coloured ring trees are even more rare. In fact, this “slag” coloured ring tree is the only one of which I am aware.
There are 3 iconic Chalet forms which we have found in both clear and coloured crystal - the “finger” cigar bowl, the “stretch” centerpiece and the “spike and curls” centerpiece. Clear crystal versions of these standards are very rare.
Clear crystal cigar bowl from the collection of Kevin Hall.
Clear crystal “hook and curls” centerpiece from the collection of Bob Burgess.
Clear crystal “stretch” from the collection of Malla Birns.
Chalet Christmas trees were also done in both. However, the reverse holds true here – clear crystal was the production norm with coloured versions being very rare.
Clear crystal tree at left from the collection of Ella Hanks. Emerald Christmas tree from the collection of Chalet artist Roberto De Marchi who helped create this tree with Chalet Maestri Gatto and fellow artist Giovanni Voltalina.
Coloured versions are typically emerald green and can be cased or not with a layer of clear crystal over the colour. However, we have found a very few exceptions to this rule. The three shown in the following photographs are the exceptions to this rule and to date, the only ones with other colours of which I am aware.
The trees at the left and right are typical. The middle tree is of a very unusual bluish colour.
These 2 standouts are from the collection of Jonathon Tremblay.
The swan centerpiece is commonly found in both clear crystal and coloured versions.
The Chalet fazoletto vase is another familiar Chalet form. It too can be both in clear crystal or coloured.
This next form is exceedingly rare and very atypical for Chalet. It was distributed in Canada by N. C. Cameron and Sons Ltd and marketed in the United States by Riekes Crisa as a “flame.”
The clear crystal version is shown in a Riekes catalog (at left, bottom page) as #7617-69.
Continuing with the surprise pieces – a piece of Chalet tableware. Both cake-plate versions are very rare. From the Riekes “John Riekes Collection” line.
Now back to the more familiar!
Chalet routinely produced clear crystal sailboats. Coloured boat forms are much more uncommon. They can also be found in cranberry.
Chalet paperweights are a “unicorn” piece for many collectors. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to find one to add to your collection! What is your preference – clear crystal or coloured?
Clear crystal “egg” from the collection of Deborah Patterson while the coloured “confetti” paperweight from the collection of Jonathon Tremblay.
A “face prunt” vase. The face prunt embellishment was designed by Chalet owner, chemist and Master glassblower Sergio Pagnin.
The clear crystal tornado vase is exceedingly rare. To date, this smaller height version is the only one of which I am aware.
Photograph of clear piece courtesy of Sabrina Brunetti.
Ending with another unusual and rare duo – a clear and coloured “sleigh” centerpiece.
From the collections of Troy Danby (clear crystal at left) and Pierre Denis (2-tone at right).
In conclusion, this article emphasizes the “Never say Never” rule as it serves as a visual illustration of why you need to examine just about everything when you are “out and about.” You never know what you may find in the always intriguing and enduring Chalet saga.
