Waterford Crystal covers the panels of the modern illuminated Times Square New Year's Eve ball.
The present ball is a geodesic sphere covered with Waterford Crystal panels and illuminated by LEDs. Its design has changed over time as the ball became larger and more technologically sophisticated, but the crystal panels preserve the sparkling visual effect associated with the ceremony.
Waterford Crystal, an Irish crystal manufacturer, began supplying panels for the Times Square ball in 2000. The ball is lowered down a pole at One Times Square during the final minute of the year, reaching the bottom at midnight.
The first Times Square ball in 1907 was very different: it was made from iron and wood and used light bulbs rather than crystal panels. Swarovski is another famous crystal brand, but it is not the material traditionally identified with the modern Times Square ball.