What is the difference between crystal and ordinary glass. What is crystal and how is it different from glass? How to distinguish a crystal chandelier from a fake

Crystal is a type of glass that contains at least 24% lead or barium oxide. Such additives provide, in the language of jewelers, a "play of light", as well as increase the plasticity of the material - all this makes it possible to cut and carve crystal. Such procedures allow the crystal, as well as precious stones, more fully express their beauty.

Crystal got its name by analogy with rock crystal, the name of which, in turn, is derived from the Greek word "crystallos", which translates as "ice". Probably, it was the purity and transparency of this mineral that inspired the Greeks with associations with ice. Rock crystal is a type of colorless quartz.

The creation of crystal was practiced in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia at the dawn of glassmaking. However, in its modern form, crystal was obtained only in 1676 by the English master George Ravenscroft.

What is the difference between crystal and glass

Crystal and glass are two materials that are made using completely different technologies and from different materials. It is these two factors that determine the differences between them, including in price categories.

Firstly, glass and crystal are different. Glass is warmer to the touch and heats up quickly in the hands, while crystal cools the skin.

Secondly, crystal is much stronger. It can be broken, but this is more difficult to do. When broken, glass shatters into large pieces, while crystal breaks into small pieces. Over time, scratches, cracks, tarnishes appear on the glass. This does not happen with crystal.

In addition, if you look at any object through the glass, the image will be slightly enlarged. Crystal will give a bifurcation of the object without magnification.

Finally, crystal, unlike glass, has a characteristic sound. Running wet fingers over it, you can hear a pleasant ringing. And when two crystal products touch, a long-sounding rumble is heard. The glass only makes a dull thud.

It is all of the above factors that make crystal an expensive collectible. In the manufacture of crystal products, they are always decorated with engraving, carefully polished and gold foil, etching or matting are used in their decoration.

Crystal can also be colored: red, green, purple, etc. But keep in mind that on the market, crystal is often replaced with ordinary glass, making skillful fakes that only a specialist can distinguish.

Crystal tableware has been of value for several centuries and the cost of crystal has not fallen, on the contrary, now manual labor has become even more expensive. Do you know how crystal is made and how to distinguish crystal from glass? Do you know that there is colored crystal and two-layer crystal - the crown of glass art?

I can’t imagine a woman indifferent to beautiful tableware, and crystal tableware is very beautiful and, moreover, expensive, it always adds “beauty”. Crystal glasses, glasses, vases... Crystal tableware has a special energy, warmth, it is pleasant to touch it.

luxury crystal glasses always a great gift, the Posud:meister.ua online store offers High Quality crystal and glassware.

How crystal is made

The main component of glass is quartz sand, by heating it with other chemicals you can get a viscous liquid that can be molded or blown into a specific shape. When lead dioxide is added, lead crystal can be obtained, it is much more malleable and a complex pattern can be carved on its surface.

How to distinguish glass from crystal

Classical crystal contains -24% lead oxide, in some products this substance can be up to 30%.

According to European standards, a glass product that contains lead oxide:

less than 4% is non-crystal and categorized as "glass"
more than 10% belongs to the category "crystal glass"
24% - "crystal"
more than 30% - "crystal with a high content of lead oxide"

The well-known Bohemian crystal does not contain lead oxide, potassium-calcium glass is added instead, and there is also barium crystal.

What are all these supplements for? Lead oxide adds nobility finished product, it receives a “voice”, a gentle sound from contact, its color is absolutely transparent, crystal products seem warm and pleasant to the touch, crystal products especially shimmer and sparkle in the sun. All these qualities can only be possessed by products of their crystal.

Colored crystal and double layer crystal

Colored crystal is less known, products made from colored crystal have all the qualities of crystal. To give crystal a color at the manufacturing stage, various metal oxides are added, giving Beautiful colors-clean Blue colour, pink, green, purple.

Laid-on crystal has the greatest value; it can be called a work of art in glass art. Such crystal has two layers, one of them is colored, and the other is transparent. When the product is ready, the artist removes the upper colored layer of crystal during cutting and transparent facets appear. Highly artistic cutting can only be performed by a professional of the highest level, this must be a virtuoso in his field. Therefore, products made of two-layer crystal are the most expensive in their form.

27.03.2018

We are used to the fact that in a good establishment drinks are served in crystal, and at home they keep it for special occasions.

It must be handled gently: wash only by hand, with special means, and try not to break or scratch it. To save money, they used glass with a slightly modified composition. It is stronger than crystal, but the walls are thick, the edges do not play in the light, there is no such crystal transparency and melodic ringing. Finally, about 10 years ago, crystal glass appeared, which looks exactly like crystal, but does not contain harmful lead and is much stronger.

This glass looks good expensive restaurant, and in a wine bar, it can be washed in the dishwasher and dropped without risk.

How is crystal made?

They began to make artificial crystal, imitating natural - it is rock crystal, a kind of quartz, from which jewelry is made. Artificial crystal contains 24% lead oxide, which is smelted together with silicon, soda, and other oxides. For the first time with such a composition, crystal was made by the English master George Ravenscroft in 1676.

Lead gives glass plasticity. Therefore, crystal glasses have such thin walls, you can make very small details and decorate with a network of faces or an engraved pattern. The second thing lead is responsible for is the refraction of light. That is why crystal is so transparent and plays so effectively on the edges. Outwardly, it looks like a faceted diamond flickers - hence the association with something precious, luxurious. However, the constant replacement of broken crystal is expensive, and factories all these centuries have been looking for other compositions to give crockery strength.

How is crystal glass made?

Earlier crystal glass it was considered that in which lead oxide is less than in crystal - 13-23%, and potassium oxides - 17%. Such, for example, were traditional Venetian and Czech glass, but they are still classified as crystal.

Manufacturers are now phasing out lead, which is considered a toxic heavy element. Instead of lead oxide, for example, silicon and titanium are added - as they do in. The brand makes glasses, carafes and decanters from Tritan™, a patented material whose exact composition is kept secret. The finished dishes are hardened in contrasting water baths at a temperature of 15 to 70 degrees, cooled and carefully polished, and the cut is made with a laser along the still soft edge so that it is perfectly even and thin.

As a result, dishes made of such glass are very durable, transparent, and refract light beautifully, like real crystal. The thin walls do not break, and the glasses can be washed in the dishwasher. To make them even stronger, vulnerable areas are slightly thickened and compacted.

In a word, modern looks like crystal, but much stronger and harmless to the body. This combination is an ideal move for establishments where tableware is needed both presentable and practical.

Crystal and glass are two materials made using different technologies and from different stones. It is important to know the differences if there is a need to buy a crystal product, which has a significant difference in price from glass in a big way. But sellers can give out cheaper material for expensive ones, presenting glass as crystal. In addition, materials differ in appearance and durability. Crystal can be stored for a long time, and then handed over for purchase and get a good amount. Glass is a common item that has no value and is not interesting for collectors.

Definition

Glass It is a synthetic material. It is made from man-made fibres. There are also natural materials from which very beautiful glass is obtained, but they are very rare. But such a material and cost will have a significant difference from artificial counterparts. So, glass, made in compliance with ancient traditions, is very beautiful.

Crystal is a crystalline substance of natural origin. It is a colorless variety of quartz. A feature is a beautiful view and high cost. Crystal is a collector's item due to its appearance. Crystal tableware, for example, is carefully passed down from generation to generation.

Comparison

The main difference between these two materials is thermal conductivity. You can determine this by touch - glass will be much warmer than crystal. Even if the material long time hold in your hands, the temperature of the crystal will not change. Glass heats up very quickly. When heated natural material will give off heat much more slowly than artificial.

Crystal is very difficult to damage. Yes, it is not difficult to break it, but it is more difficult to do it than with glass. If you drop the glass, it will shatter into large pieces, while the crystal breaks into small pieces. In addition, scratches and small cracks, as well as tarnished spots, form on the glass over time. Crystal is not influenced by physical factors. For a long time it retains its integrity and shine.

Czech crystal Bohemia crystal

Looking closely at the glass, you can see small bubbles in its structure that occur during manufacture. They do not spoil the appearance of the product, but this distinguishes it from crystal, which does not have such bubbles.

If you look through the glass, the image will be slightly enlarged. Crystal bifurcates objects, but leaves them the same size. Even artificial crystal differs from glass in this. Also through the glass, looking at the light, you can see the striations (lines). Crystal has no such phenomenon.

Crystal has a characteristic sound. If you run wet fingers over it, you can hear a pleasant ringing. Also, when two crystal products come into contact, a growing rumble sounds for a long time. Glass can only make a dull thud.

Findings site

Crystal is more expensive. The difference is noun, several times.
Crystal is hard to break.
Crystal emits a long hum when in contact with the same material.
Glass magnifies objects.
Small bubbles can be seen inside the glass.
The glass heats up quickly in your hands.
Crystal makes hands cooler.
Crystal is valuable for collectors.
Glass is more affordable.
It deteriorates over time, tarnishes and acquires minor damage, unlike crystal.

Crystal tableware has been in demand at all times ever since the secret of crystal production was discovered. The material itself was first made in 1676 in England. Crystal is a combination of glass and lead oxide. Because of this composition, crystal is called lead glass. By appearance, it is not easy to determine crystal and distinguish it from glass, which is what unscrupulous sellers use, offering customers glass products at the price of crystal. So how to distinguish crystal from glass yourself?

Information about crystal

Natural crystal is rock crystal, which is the clear quartz found in river pebbles. This mineral is used in the jewelry industry for the manufacture of decorative inserts in jewelry. Artificial crystal is a raw material for the production of tableware and decor items.

crystal tableware

Crystal is characterized by such features as resistance to acids and a high refractive index. Despite its thinness, crystal is a very durable material. So, the density of crystal is on average 3.6 per 10 kilograms per cubic meter in a cube.

Crystal production cannot be called a quick and easy process, as it consists of the following steps:

Smelting charge - a mixture of sand, lead oxide and potash. The melting point is 1500 degrees Celsius.
After that, a product of the required shape is blown out of the crystal. Then it is fired in a special furnace under the influence of a falling temperature regime.
Held expert review finished crystal, during which the presence of defects (curvature, bubbles, cracks, etc.) is checked.
Crystal is decorative.

Depending on the composition of lead glass, its types are distinguished:

classic crystal containing 24-30% lead oxide;
low lead: such crystal contains less than 24% lead oxide;
barium: contains a minimum of 18% barium oxide;
Bohemian: for the production of this type of crystal, not lead and barium are used, but glass, consisting of calcium and potassium.

glass vase

Crystal or glass?

As already noted, externally, crystal usually resembles glass. How to distinguish rock crystal from glass:

Glass, unlike crystal, has good thermal conductivity. If you put your hand on a glass object, it will quickly heat up. This is not typical for crystal.
Crystal is a durable material, so it is resistant to damage, such as scratches. As for glass, it can be severely scratched in a matter of seconds.
If you look at the glass under a magnifying glass, you can see a large number of small bubbles in its thickness. Crystal has a uniform structure.
If you take an object made of glass and look through it at some object, then the latter will appear enlarged. As for crystal, it does not distort the parameters of objects in any way.
If you take a faceted crystal product and examine it in the sunlight, you can see the play of colors. Glass does not have this property.
Crystal, if lightly run over it with a wet finger, will emit a growing melodic ringing, which is uncharacteristic of glass.

Crystal tableware is expensive, especially when it comes to elite material. Premium crystal is produced in factories in countries such as the Czech Republic, Russia and Germany. In order not to make a mistake when buying crystal products, it is recommended to give preference to large stores that sell branded crystal tableware.