Crystal is a beautiful way to improve the class and decor of your home. But how can you tell when something is only “normal” glass (technically called soda-lime glass because of its sodium carbonate and lime content) and true crystal? Here are five tips to help you figure it out, so you can determine whether someone’s trying to cheat you or you’re about to get a really good deal. Ideally, you would have a true crystal object to compare the new product with, but with a little practice, you can determine the truth without the comparison.
First, feel the weight of it. Glass may be heavy, but crystal almost always contains lead. The lead addition has numerous benefits, but one of the obvious differences between soda-lime glass and leaded crystal is that the crystal is much heavier than the glass. If you feel the weight of the product and it doesn’t feel very heavy, then chances are, it’s only soda-lime glass and not crystal. But if it feels very heavy, then it could be crystal. (Lead-free crystal is lighter than leaded crystal, but still heavier than soda-lime glass, and most lead-free crystal will be described that way.)
Next, you want to check the resonance of the product. Tap it lightly with a bit of metal, or even just your fingernail. A second benefit of the lead content of crystal is that it increases the resonance of the glass, so crystal will reverberate and make that telltale ring, whereas glass will probably just make a “tink” sound.
Third, examine the product for the sparkle and shine of crystal. Lead increases the refractive index of glass, making it disperse light very easily. This results in a sparkle, and often in a rainbow of colors. Some glass prisms can create rainbows also, but these must be a very specific shape, and it’s unlikely you’re shopping for a crystal prism.
Fourth, check the edges of the product. If it has sharp, angular edges, then it’s probably just soda-lime glass. If it has smoother, rounded edges, however, then it’s more likely to be true crystal.
Finally, the lead content has another benefit of making the glass easier to work with. This, combined with the added weight, makes crystal very resilient compared to soda-lime glass. Don’t try to break the product! But you should be able to tell whether or not it could withstand a little wear and tear.
There you have it! If you’re shopping for crystal, don’t settle for less: use these five tips to figure out whether you’ve found some true crystal or just a bit of glass someone’s trying to pass off as crystal. Good luck!
