| Discovered in the seventeenth century by an | | | | latter years of the nineteenth century, following a |
| Englishman called George Ravenscroft, lead crystal | | | | visit to the first-ever electrical exhibition in Vienna, |
| production involves the adding of lead oxide powder | | | | Daniel Swarovski embarked upon a mission to invent |
| into molten glass which, is then either blow molded or | | | | the first-ever mechanical lead crystal-cutting machine. |
| pressed into shape, depending on the | | | | It took nine years of hard work but, when it was |
| manufacturer’s preference and the complexity | | | | finished, it enabled him and his fellow workers to |
| of the finished article. To earn the classification of | | | | achieve, with relative ease, symmetry and detail that |
| “Full Lead Crystal” the mixture must contain | | | | his contemporaries could only dream of. |
| at least twenty four percent lead oxide and the | | | | The addition of lead oxide gives the finished article |
| highest concentration achievable that will allow any | | | | more sparkle and the defined edges of the facets |
| kind of workability is thirty three percent. The higher | | | | and flutes cut into the crystal allow the light to |
| the lead content, the more brilliance the finished | | | | refract and a whole rainbow of colors can be seen. |
| article will have. So in order to create a balance | | | | Also, it will ring like a bell when struck gently with a |
| between brilliance and workability, most | | | | metallic object. |
| manufacturers aim somewhere in between these | | | | Whilst, due to its lead content, lead crystal use is |
| two markers. | | | | restricted in some parts of the world. I think that |
| Once shaping is complete, the crystal is then allowed | | | | most would agree that nothing else comes close to |
| to slowly cool in an annealing oven prior to any flutes | | | | crystal for giving a dinner table that “je ne sais |
| and facets being worked into the moulded product | | | | quoi”. |
| by skilled craftsmen using abrasive cutting tools. For | | | | For more information, please visit my crystalware and |
| many centuries, the cutting of the flutes and facets | | | | stemware website by clicking here. |
| into lead crystal was done by hand. However, in the | | | | |