At Lalique, crystal is often satin-finished. The matting operation consists of removing the smooth and shiny aspect of the crystal on all or some of the elements of the decoration. This deep green Languedoc vase comes out of the box where the matting was carried out by a jet of sand under pressure. The first patent for mechanical abrasion by sand and steam was filed in 1870 in the United States by Benjamin Chew Tilghman (1821-1901). After observing the windows of a house become matt after a sandstorm, the physicist understood that this result was due to the action of the grains of sand thrown with force by the wind against the glass.