To begin with, it is important to understand what crystal and glass are and what their fundamental differences are.
We all consciously and subconsciously love and appreciate natural things, realizing that natural is always better. No one will create such magnificent examples of true art as only Nature.
So is crystal - it has so many advantages that glass (an artificially obtained material) cannot in any way compare with it.
Crystalis a colorless quartz, an icicle-shaped mineral (krystallos means icicle in Greek). Glass is a material obtained mainly from a mixture of quartz sand (SiO 2), soda (Na 2 CO 3 ) and lime (CaO) and has no crystalline structure.
In addition, there isartificial crystal - glass with added lead. The purity of crystal depends on the % of lead. The higher the percentage, the purer and more expensive the crystal. The most expensive crystal contains more than 30% lead oxide, the cheapest - from 18% to 24%, and in the USA it is acceptable to call even glass with 1% lead crystal.
For creating colored crystal coloring additives are used. So, blue tones are obtained by adding cobalt, red - cadmium or gold, pink - silicon, green - copper oxide, purple - manganese oxide. The famous Swarovski crystals are the same artificial crystal.
Crystal glass differs from crystal in its reduced lead content - from 4% to 15%. In addition, in crystal glass, part of the potassium is replaced by sodium, and part of the lead by zinc, barium, magnesium or calcium. As a rule, dishes, glasses, wine glasses, vases for the home and restaurants are made from it. In terms of its properties, it is harder than ordinary glass, but softer than crystal, so even dishwashers are safe for crystal glass. Crystal, including crystal glass products, can easily withstand temperature changes, so they can be scalded with boiling water or doused with ice water.
So, what distinguishes crystal from glass?
Main distinctive feature crystal and glass is thermal conductivity. You can hold a crystal glass in your hands for a long time and it will not heat up, absorbing all the heat from your palms. With glass the situation is exactly the opposite - it heats up quite quickly on its surface, although the inside remains cold. So, in ancient Rome, rich people used crystal to cool their bodies on hot days.
The second pleasant property of crystal is the ability to produce a gentle “crystal” ringing, music from contact with another crystal glass or from a light blow with a thin stick or even a fingernail.
Crystal is harder than glass. A crystal glass is almost impossible to scratch and quite difficult to break. This is a very nice advantage for expensive cookware. On the Mohs hardness scale it corresponds to a number 7. Only topaz (8), corundum (9) and diamond (10) are even harder.
Rock crystal may have cracks or cloudiness, but foreign bodies, there can be no bubbles or voids.
To understand that this is real crystal, carefully examine the glass in the light - it should not enlarge or distort the shape of objects. If you place a glass on a sheet of paper, the edge of the sheet will optically double. And lastly, crystal refracts light perfectly, so crystal products have a special shine and shine.
You can buy crystal glasses and decanters at the appropriate section
The choice of dishes today is huge and varied. But there are products that have their own appearance they immediately “talk” about their status and “breed”. And they are always in “piece” execution. This primarily applies to high-quality porcelain, luxurious crystal and glass glasses self made.
How to correctly distinguish crystal from glass when you want to buy crystal glassware and vice versa? There are several specific features that distinguish this type of glass. And first, let’s take a closer look at each of these materials.
Natural glass is very rare today. This natural material appears as a result of global natural disasters, which are not so frequent. This includes the fall of meteorites, the impacts of which can transform rock into a glassy mass. Active, huge volcanoes erupt lava, which sometimes eventually forms volcanic glass. And, of course, these types of materials have nothing to do with glassware.
But organic glass is exactly the material from which it is customary to create vessels and other utensils. Organic glass is always of artificial origin and created by human hands. The composition of the raw material may vary, but the main components are always quartz sand, feldspar and boric acid.
What is crystal?
Crystal, like glass, can be natural or artificial. The natural type includes rock crystal, which is formed in the voids of rocks and limestone, quartz veins and slate. The mineral is unusually hard and transparent. Often used in the jewelry industry as decorative inserts in jewelry.
Artificial crystal is created from glass with the addition of lead oxides in different proportions. Moreover, each country has its own composition, where the amount of lead content is individual. For example, European crystal contains about 10% lead oxides. In Russian crystal this percentage may be higher. In this regard, experts often call crystal glass with the following definitions: lead; high lead. From this we can distinguish two main types of artificial crystal:
- Classic crystal (high-lead glass), which contains up to 24-30% lead oxide.
- Crystal (lead glass) containing less than 24% lead oxides.
Bohemian crystal contains barium instead of lead and glass consisting of large quantity calcium.
What is the advantage of artificial crystal? It is ideal for decoration, as lead gives the material additional plasticity. Ornaments, drawings, and engravings are created on the crystal surface. Undoubtedly, this is a huge advantage in the production of artistic tableware and decorative items.
What is the difference between crystal and glass?
There are a number of signs by which crystal can be visually distinguished from glass without resorting to laboratory tests.
Thermal conductivity. The most distinctive physical property in materials is the difference in their thermal conductivity. heats up faster in your hand, becoming warm. Crystal dishes are always cool, no matter how long they are in warm palms.
Hardness and strength. To break a crystal object, you need to make some effort, which cannot be said about glass products. There are never scratches on the crystal surface, which also confirms its hardness. But steel objects, for example, can leave marks on glass objects.
Don't focus on price. Although, of course, crystal is more expensive to produce and therefore costs more. But some types of handmade glass glasses are several times higher than the price tags of crystal products.
The above practical advice will help you more effectively understand the question of how to distinguish crystal from glass. And one moment. If the authenticity of the crystal is still in doubt, it is better to contact a specialist - an expert in this field.
bubbles in glass
and crystal.
Simple and unpretentious, and most importantly available methods who will help us distinguish crystal from usual glass.
Due to the fact that most often in everyday life we consider glass, which is a synthetically produced material, then it is in in this case amorphous, i.e. has no crystalline structure. Of course, in nature there are also glasses of natural origin, such as obsidian (volcanic glass) and tektites - glasses of impact origin, those that are formed when a meteorite hits the ground, but they are rather exceptions that we Everyday life do not meet. This means that all other glass is of artificial origin.
Rhinestone- This is a colorless variety of quartz, it is a crystalline substance of natural origin.
Without the use of additional devices and equipment visually glass(including crystal, and these are all kinds of vases and bowls, salad bowls and wine glasses from the USSR, for example) from rock crystal can be distinguished by the following characteristics:
- There will definitely be gas bubbles in the glass various shapes, they cannot be in rock crystal.
- If you look at the light, then streaks will be noticeable in the glass - this is the name given to the flow lines of a liquid and viscous substance, which is glass; in crystalline substances, such as rock crystal, streak formations are not found.
- different from rock crystal lower thermal conductivity (they are warm to the touch). The feeling of a warm or cold stone depends not on the nature of its origin, but on its thermal conductivity. If a stone has low thermal conductivity, it seems warm to the touch, and if a stone has high thermal conductivity, it seems cold to the touch.
In this particular case, we compare the thermal conductivity rock crystal (quartz) and glass. Those who like to experiment try the warmth of the compared stones with their tongue.
Uniform plate thickness glass, when viewed through it, unlike rock crystal, has the ability to slightly enlarge objects.
U quartz (rock crystal(colorless), Smoky Quartz, Citrine, Amethyst etc.) strong bifurcation. For example, if you take a rock crystal ball and place it on the edge of a sheet, the edge will split in two; we definitely cannot achieve this effect with a glass ball.
The first sign is bifurcation of edges.
In terms of weight, it will most likely not be possible in all cases. distinguish between glass and crystal, for quartz the density is 2.65 g/cm3, and for glass it ranges from 2 to 4.5 g/cm3, and these are quite close figures.
But for a more accurate diagnosis it is necessary to use special gemological equipment.
How to distinguish topazes from crystal or zirconium?
Topaz from crystal (quartz painted) can be distinguished by hardness. Topaz will always scratch quartz, hardness of topaz is 8, crystal – 7.
You can also distinguish topaz from crystal and from CZ (synthetic zirconium dioxide) in density. Topaz has a density of ~ 3.50 g/cm3. Quartz has 2.5-2.7 g/cm/cubic. That is, with the same size, topaz is heavier than quartz. Zirconium dioxide has a density of 5.5-5.7 g/cm. cube, and with the same size as topaz, zirconium is much heavier.
Measuring density at home is not difficult at all. To do this, you need to have fairly accurate scales that measure weight with an accuracy of 0.01 grams, and preferably in carats, a 5-10 ml beaker and a 1 ml measuring capillary with a division value of 0.01 ml. Well – and a calculator, of course.
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From a scientific point of view, crystal is glass with the addition of lead and potassium. It has purity and brilliance, the height of these indicators depends on the amount of lead. Purity, and with it the high cost of raw materials, increases with the increase in the percentage of metal. If the lead oxide content in it is 16-23%, the raw material is called “lead crystal”. All types of crystal are glass, but not every type of glass is crystal. Products with a lead content of less than 4% are glass.
What is the difference between crystal and glass?
There are certain characteristics, knowledge of which will help determine whether an object is made of glass or crystal.
Sequencing:
1. Pick up a crystal object. Gently tap your finger and listen to the clear melody, observe the subtle vibration. Do the same with ordinary glass - a muffled sound will appear, which differs from “crystal”, the object does not vibrate.
2. Look through crystal and glass against sunlight or bright light. Light passing through glass does not have the effect of refraction and shine. What is the difference between crystal and glass? Produces a rainbow effect thanks to lead oxide particles.
3. Compare objects of the same size by weight. Raise crystal and glass in your hand. By paying attention to the weight, it is easy to tell which is heavier. Lead oxide in crystal makes it heavier. This is the difference between crystal and ordinary glass.
4. Pay attention to the intricate patterns of crystal products. Glass objects do not have cutouts, they are harder and more difficult to process. The presence of lead oxide in crystal softens it, which makes it possible to implement decor of any complexity on products.
This is the difference between crystal and glass.
Crystal glass
Due to its properties, this material is halfway from crystal to expensive glass. What distinguishes crystal from crystal glass is its increased lead content. In glass production, part of the lead oxide is replaced with calcium, magnesium, barium or zinc oxide, and part of the potassium oxide is replaced with sodium oxide. According to Russian standards, it must contain at least 10% lead, barium or zinc oxide; European standards allow 1-15% of these substances. The lead content in such glass gives it a tint of bluish whiteness, the luxury of a bright polished shine and the “ringing” of crystal. It is softer than ordinary glass, but harder than crystal. Rubbing and intensive washing do not harm it.
Its beauty and durability are on par with crystal, and its low price has increased its popularity. In Russia, similar products are produced at a plant in the city of Gus-Khrustalny.
How is it different from crystal?
Bohemian glass products are highly prized. Fine workmanship and perfect design give them a special charm. Due to the high lead content in the raw material, which adds transparency, purity and strength, Bohemian glass is considered crystal. Its production is limited to the territory of Bohemia, one of the western regions of the Czech Republic.
Bohemian glass products have a number of distinctive features.
Ringing. Melodic and long, deep, slightly metallic - main sign authenticity. It lasts at least 4 seconds, “arises from the depths and slowly subsides.” Along with the sound, a slight vibration passes through the glass.
In order for the product to ring, it is necessary to place the object on a flat, hard surface and:
- iron the edge of the product with wet fingers (this method is only applicable for products with thin walls);
- easily hit the walls of the product with a crystal stick;
- Gently tap one product against another.
Perfect cleanliness. Components in Bohemian glass: lead and barium oxides, calcium. They increase transparency, making it look clean. The criteria for assessing purity are different for transparent and colored products.
Clear glass does not contain:
- air bubbles;
- inclusions;
- cloudy areas;
- cracks on the surface;
- mechanical defects.
Check transparency by looking at brightly lit surfaces through a glass: they should not fade.
Colored glass is not completely transparent, but it is “clean” and free of defects. It is bright and saturated without extraneous shades, and acceptable stains and shimmers are the same color scheme as the main tone.
Distinctive characteristics of Bohemian glass
Surface. It is perfectly smooth, without defects such as scratches, cracks, sagging, or grains. This also applies to products with carved designs or engravings. The lines of the drawing are clear, regular, without bends, cracks or irregularities. And straight, even and thin edges form a regular pattern.
Play of light. Due to the high refractive index, the play of light is observed on both smooth and carved surfaces. The glass is checked under the influence of direct rays of the sun, which, when disintegrating, play with rainbow highlights when touching the surface. Smooth products allow light to pass through, which “plays” on the edge, the joint of the leg. Carved - they mirror the glare with their edges, and the surface “flashes”.
Shape and edge of products. The peculiarities of the technology will not allow the creation of intricately shaped products. It is always laconic and correct, and the variety of design is achieved due to decorative techniques. The edge is important when assessing quality; it is always smooth, without notches, protrusions, or sagging. Despite the sharpness and thinness, the edges retain strength and remain safe.
Crystal has long been associated with luxury and high level life. It is impossible to imagine an expensive classic interior without a crystal chandelier. Such lamps will never go out of fashion.
Let's figure out what is the difference between crystal and glass.
Crystal is much stronger than glass, so it is almost impossible to scratch it. The glass will fade over time and small scratches and abrasions will appear on it. Crystal is much more difficult to break than glass. When broken, crystal scatters into small pieces, glass breaks into large fragments.
Glass in your hands will heat up much faster than crystal, since these materials have different thermal conductivities.
In addition to quartz sand, lime and soda, admixtures of lead oxide or barium oxide are added to the composition of crystal. These impurities significantly increase the light refractive characteristics and create the so-called “play of color”.
Any glass containing lead oxide impurities cannot be called crystal. The content of these impurities must be at least 30%. If the oxide content is less than 30%, then it is crystal glass; if the impurities are less than 4%, then it is the most ordinary glass. The characteristics of such glass are significantly lower than crystal. Also, a high content of lead or barium oxides significantly improves the plastic properties of crystal. This is very important in the process of cutting and polishing crystal products. High-quality crystal is sometimes difficult to distinguish from precious stones.
If you add impurities of various metals to the molten crystal mass, you get very beautiful and spectacular colored crystal. For example, green crystal is obtained by adding copper, blue - cobalt, silicon gives crystal pink color, and cadmium is red. Colored crystal elements are widely used to decorate chandeliers, sconces, and floor lamps by Czech manufacturers Bohemia IVELE Crystal And .
When choosing a crystal chandelier, you need to take into account that often unscrupulous manufacturers replace crystal with the most ordinary cut glass. Only a specialist can distinguish such counterfeits. Remember, a crystal chandelier cannot be cheap, since crystal production is a very labor-intensive process and requires a lot of effort. You can purchase crystal chandeliers only from well-known, time-tested factories. When you see a chandelier that looks very similar to the original Czech product, which differs in price by 2 or even more times, rest assured that this is an ordinary piece of glass, there is no high-quality crystal in it. Require product certificates.
The Kvadro Light online store cooperates only with official suppliers of Czech crystal chandeliers. When purchasing a Czech crystal chandelier in our online store, you can be sure that you have purchased an original certified product.
You can buy a crystal chandelier in the Kvadro Light online store without prepayment. Pay for your order upon receipt in all cities of the Russian Federation.
