How to Determine if Glass is Crystal
Crystal is a more expensive, heavier and more beautiful kind of glass. Technically, however, it is not a crystal, as its chemical structure is not crystalline. Instead, crystal (also known as "lead crystal") is glass, heated and infused with lead oxide. The lead makes the glass easier to work with because it does not need to be as hot to be molded, makes the glass harder once it cools, and gives the resulting lead crystal its signature brilliance, which is lacking is regular glassware. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Differentiating Glass and Crystal
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Sight:
Crystal is more brilliant and more clear than glass. It refracts light, making the piece sparkle in the light. Imagine a crystal chandelier, sending bits of rainbow throughout a room--regular glass cannot do this.
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Sound:
If you tap glass, it clacks. There is no resonance to the sound. If you tap crystal , it rings, and the ring resonates.
Similarly, if you wet your hand and run a finger along the top edge, crystal seems to sing.
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Touch:
Lead crystal can be composed of up to 40 percent lead. Pure glass, by definition, has no lead. So crystal is heavier. Pick up the piece and decide how heavy it feels relative to its size.
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Tips & Warnings
In the U.S., glass needs to be at least 1 percent lead to be called crystal. In the UK, glass needs to be at least 4 percent lead to be called crystal. Crystal can be up to 40 percent lead.
Some people call glass that has a lead content of between 4 and 30 percent "lead glass."
