What is a paperweight – origin and meaning

In a world where gifts quickly lose their value and are forgotten, there are those that remain in time because they carry emotion and elegant beauty that do not fade. Paperweights are beautiful decorative objects that originated with the main function of protecting sheets of paper from scattering, but have become decorative objects and accessories with high artistic value.

Paperweight decorative gift

What is a paperweight used for?

A paperweight is a beautiful small but heavy decorative element whose main function is to press sheets of paper. However, due to its high decorative value, in our time the paperweight is often used as an interior accessory for the home or office, as a stylish gift or souvenir.

What does a paperweight mean?

The paperweight first appeared in France in the 18th century. The origin of the word is associated with its meaning in the French language "presse-papiers" and literally means something with which we press paper. Paperweights appeared as objects used in the French court to press sheets of paper so that they would not scatter, but as a result of the rapid cultural development during this period, these objects quickly acquired an increasingly high decorative value.

Master glassmakers began to create heavy glass balls, in which they embedded decorative elements and in many cases flowers. Thus, paperweights quickly gained great popularity and became a modern decorative accessory. In the following century, paperweights became real works of art, which created a whole society of collectors.

What is a paperweight made of?

A variety of materials can be used to make a paperweight:

Glass
Crystal
Resin
Acrylic
In our online store we offer high-quality paperweights made of crystal resin. Each of them has a real flower embedded in it, which has undergone special processing to preserve its colors, shape and appearance for a long time to come.

Check out the beautiful paperweights offered by RaddyFlowers in the gifts menu of our online store. They are part of the Fiore series.