What material covers the New Year's Eve ball dropped in Times Square since 2008?

Waterford Crystal covers the New Year's Eve ball dropped in Times Square since 2008.

Waterford Crystal, an Irish crystal manufacturer, has supplied the ball's decorative crystal panels for the modern design. The 2008 ball introduced the expanded version used for the centennial-era celebration, and later annual designs have added new patterns and panels while preserving the recognizable illuminated sphere.

The ball is assembled from triangular crystal panels mounted over an aluminum frame and lit with computer-controlled LEDs. Its design has changed as technology improved, allowing more colors, effects, and themed patterns than the original electric-light ball of 1907.

The object is often called a crystal ball, but it is not a solid sphere made entirely of crystal. Waterford Crystal supplies the faceted panels, while the supporting structure and lighting system are separate components. The ball is raised during the weeks before New Year's Eve and lowered during the final minute of the year.