Crystal is one of the indicators of the standard of living, as well as a luxury item and the close attention of collectors. Crystal sets, chandeliers and other decor items are a measure of taste and style. The fashion for crystal has not passed for many years.
What is crystal
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", and also increase the plasticity of the material - all this makes it possible to expose the crystal to faceting and carving. Such procedures allow crystal, like precious stones, to more fully express its beauty.
Crystal received 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 ice associations. Rock crystal is a type of colorless quartz.
Crystal making was practiced in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia at the dawn of glass making. However, in its present 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.
First, glass and crystal have different thermal conductivity. 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 it is more difficult to do. When broken, the glass shatters into large pieces, while the crystal breaks into small fragments. Scratches, cracks, tarnishing appear on the glass over time. This does not happen with crystal.
In addition, if you look at an object through glass, the image will be slightly enlarged. Crystal, on the other hand, will give the object bifurcation without magnification.
Finally, crystal, unlike glass, has a characteristic sound. If you rub it with wet fingers, you can hear a pleasant ringing. And when two crystal objects touch, a growing, long-sounding rumble is heard. Glass, on the other hand, emits only 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 used in their decoration with gold foil, etching or matting.
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, which can only be distinguished by a specialist.
