Waterford Crystal has supplied the illuminated New Year's Eve ball in New York City's Times Square since 2000.
The partnership introduced a much more elaborate version of the historic ball for the millennium celebration. The 2000 ball was designed with crystal panels and internal lighting, replacing the simpler illuminated spheres used in earlier decades. Waterford Crystal, an Irish crystal manufacturer based in Waterford, became closely associated with the annual object.
The ball has been redesigned several times as new panels and motifs were introduced. Later versions incorporated thousands of crystal panels and LED light modules, allowing the sphere to display a wide range of colors and patterns during its descent.
Waterford Crystal is sometimes confused with Swarovski because both are internationally known crystal brands. They are separate companies, however. The Times Square ball’s crystal association specifically belongs to Waterford, while the event itself remains organized around One Times Square in Manhattan.