Master glassmakers from beyond the Alps brought French techniques, shapes and decorations to Colle; "Schmid's" richer and more sophisticated production went even further, striving to achieve intentional design references to French crystalware which, in those days, was enjoying immense success on all European markets.

There is a Nineteenth century catalogue, whose frontispiece recites " Collection des dessins representant exactement les cristaux de Baccarat, Saint Louis e Colle Val d'Elsa". Errors in translation from French, the cover made in Colle and the inner pages taken from the 1833 Baccarat catalogue, prove that this was probably a cunning ploy by an astute Giovan Battista Schmid to impress customers, presenting his own production as being closely linked to French production which was highly fashionable at the time.

Oil bottles, glasswhare Schmid, half of XIX the century

The catalogue does however have a certain documentary value, offering sure evidence of the models that the industrialist aspired to imitate.