Our mission at Half Past Seven is to help you entertain with comfort and ease. We believe unique, high quality pieces are essential to that mission and so it is our honor to partner with artisans and craftsmen around the world for the majority of our offerings. Roughly half of our products are sourced and designed in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and the other half come from a variety of countries, including the United States. While the locations may vary, our commitment to handcrafted, small-batch products is consistent.
Since most of our pieces are crafted by hand and by eye, variations become part of their beauty. Slight differences may occur - in size, shape, color, or finish. We love that each product has its own story and that through Half Past Seven, our customers are supporting heritage crafts.
How Half Past Seven’s handmade products are crafted :
Pewter: To produce each product, our pewter partners create a mold in the ground made with compacted sand, dirt and earth. Once the mold is fortified, the craftsman pours the molten pewter alloy into the subterranean mold. On rare occasions, tiny specs of sediment can settle into the alloy, causing tiny pock marks or small scratches. Additionally, with the slight variability of each mold, there is a chance that some of our pewter is not perfectly level and can cause a slight rock. We see these details as a reminder of the work and time that goes into each piece.
Chinoiserie: Our blue and white ceramic pieces are made in cottage studios with centuries old practices. Due to the handcrafted nature of these products, no two pieces are an exact match. To increase the likelihood of receiving an exact pair (particularly in the case of lamps), we encourage you to order your two products in the same shipment. Additionally, small cracks can often form in the finish. These are not indicative of a product’s stability but rather are reflective of the process.
Alpaca: “Alpaca” is a Mexican alloy blend of copper, nickel and zinc and has properties similar to stainless steel. While it has a silvery finish, it is not made of silver or pewter. Like so many of our products, our alpaca pieces are chiseled by hand, which can potentially cause slight variations in the finish. We see this typically on the underside of each piece.
Glassware: Our glassware is made in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with a mouth-blowing technique that was brought to Mexico by Spanish settlers in the 1500s. Occasionally, in the process of creating mouth-blown glassware, air bubbles can form, or an artist’s tool can leave a small rough patch on an otherwise smooth finish. Our glassware is crafted and etched by hand and by eye, meaning each piece is a unique work of art. Glasses in the same set might have slight variations in height and in color. Lastly, since our glassware partners primarily work with recycled glass, often our clear glass will have a tinge of green when set in certain lighting. We are proud to support partners who take such care in their environmental impact.
