We feature a full line of Glass and Crystal products from the following importers.
Leaded Crytal from Jack Badash
WHAT IS CRYSTAL? The meaning of crystal versus glass changes according to the country. The word "crystal" means, in most of the western world, the presence of lead. According to European Union rules, glass goods containing less than 4% lead are defined as "glass". Glass containing more than 10% lead is defined as "crystal", and goods containing more than 30% lead are defined as "highly leaded crystal". In the USA it is the opposite - glass is defined as "crystal" if it contains only 1% lead. In the Czech Republic, the term "crystal" is used for any exquisite, high quality glass. Leaded crystal means crystal containing more than 24% lead oxide.
The presence of lead in crystal softens the glass and makes it more accessible for etching and engraving. Lead increases the weight of the glass and causes the glass to diffract light. The difference between glass and crystal is evident to the eye, and you can see it when a crystal chandelier casts color spectrums through the whole room. The higher the lead content, the more dazzling the chandelier.
