Entretien & Astuces

The difference between glass and crystal: 4 simple steps to understand everything.

October 2, 2017

You want to treat yourself by buying beautiful glasses or crystal objects. But you hesitate between glass and crystal.

Of course you know that it is also possible to buy glass at a more affordable price.

So you're wondering, "What's the difference between the two?"

Because you don't really see any.

But what you may not know is that you will never be able to find the detail and finesse of crystal work on glass glasses.

It's impossible.

You will never regain the shine of crystal.

Its colors, Its incredible reflections. Which make all the difference.

In this article I will explain to you why crystal is simply the best thing you can have. Why only the material of crystal allows you to shape patterns and shapes, each more surprising than the last.

You will tell me: “but the price difference is significant”.

So there, I tell you right away: “no!”

Look at the parts on my site:

Crystal wine glasses

Crystal Whiskey Glasses

Crystal water glasses

You will see that it is also possible to find quality products accessible when you contact the manufacturer directly.

I know this is not always the case.

This is the advantage of working directly, which allows me to sell my products at affordable prices.

Okay, let's get back to the point.

You want to know what is the difference between glass and crystal, what are the advantages and disadvantages.

In this article I will give you the answers to all your questions.

As you can imagine, with 40 years of experience in crystal I have plenty to explain to you.

If you have read my article: “ Crystal Making: Issue #1 ”. You know the materials used to make crystal.

Well, I'm not going to give you a whole lesson on how to make crystal.

To do this you will find all the explanations on my blog.

But it is very important to emphasize one thing in the composition of the crystal: Lead oxide.

Which brings us to the first step of this article.

Step 1: Refraction of light.

You have already noticed that crystal shines more than glass.

But why?

Crystal is made primarily of silica (silicon oxide), like ordinary glass, but it also contains more than 10 to 32% lead oxide.

In most countries, crystal means the presence of lead in the glass, but the rate varies depending on the legal regulations in force in each country.

In the United States , a product only needs to contain 1% lead to be called crystal. In Europe , the term crystal has been protected since 1971 and is subject to very precise standards.

To be entitled to the name crystal, the glass must contain at least 24% lead oxide and have a refractive index greater than 1.545 . This is generally the crystal adopted by all the major French crystal factories.

To quickly remind you of the composition and manufacturing stages of crystal.

Here is a small diagram:

Lead oxide makes all the difference.

The latter increases transparency and refractive index .

In addition, crystal is much easier to polish. So it will always be brighter and will have a higher rate of refraction of light.

This is why it appears to diffuse light in all directions when cut. Hold it up to the light and you will see that crystal is clear and bright while glass may have a slight tint that will usually be a little hazy.

Finally, crystal is clearer and brighter than glass. And when a crystal piece is cut, it will be even more easily seen.

Let's come to the size.

Crystal has advantages for working it that glass cannot have.

But why?

Which brings us to the second step.

Step 2: Size.

We have all stood in front of a crystal glass and wondered how it was possible to achieve such precise details.

What we also appreciate in crystal are these intricate cutting details that are made by artisans with the naked eye.

I know this seems surprising.

When the pattern is very complex, the pattern is drawn on the crystal before cutting. But very often, the master crystal maker knows the pattern perfectly and everything is done without any reference points.

Here is a video example. Where you will see me performing the size on Signature Service glasses.

True works of art.

As I told you above, only this exceptional material can be worked more easily, because it is more flexible. This facilitates the cutting and cold working of the part.

Therefore, it allows craftsmen to create truly surprising patterns.

For example, if we look at the Diamond Service that we find on my site: www.artisanducristal.com

There are a lot of details.

This cut is called: the diamond cut.

This decor is very complex and tomorrow requires several years of know-how.

Here are some pictures of this service so you can understand better:

Besides the fact that a craftsman can have a very sharp eye, crystal is a much easier material to work with. Crystal is much more resistant than glass. If you don't know a little about crystal, you immediately think that it is very fragile.

But no, absolutely not.

You should see the look on my customers' faces when I take two glasses and clink them together to show them how solid they are. They are convinced that the glasses are going to break.

Besides, very often customers who enter the store are afraid of breaking something.

Or they don't dare buy crystal because they find the material too fragile.

These are just prejudices.

At equal thickness, crystal is much heavier than glass because of the lead oxide it contains. It will therefore be more resistant and less brittle.

In more scientific terms we speak of crystalline shine.

A crystal is a set of ordered atoms (we speak of a crystalline structure) while glass is an amorphous (disordered) solid.

When glass is heated, it does not melt completely; this is called the glass transition. The result is a soft paste that can be handled.

After cooling, the atoms rearrange themselves randomly.

The result is a hard but brittle material that is lighter than crystal.

Finally, crystal is not fragile and is more resistant than glass. So remove this prejudice from your head and enjoy yourself.

But it's not over yet.

There is one thing we have not yet discussed, that only crystal can produce.

The sound of crystal.

Which brings us to the third step.

Step 3: Crystal clear sound.

To begin with, you should know that the sound of crystal will depend on the shape and thickness of your crystal glass.

But no matter what, a crystal glass will always make a nicer sound.

Crystal makes a tinkling or chiming sound when tapped, whereas glass does not.

We've all tried to test the sound a crystal glass makes when you run your wet finger over the rim of the glass.

But be careful, this does not apply to all crystal glasses.

The sound is determined primarily by the shape of a glass, but also by its thickness, and whether it is footless or footed greatly influences the sound produced.

However, for the same size, a crystal glass will have a clearer sound and will last longer than a glass glass. We then speak of the famous crystalline sound .

So you were right you can test the sound of the glass but be careful it will be different from one crystal glass to another.

So a crystal glass will be more pleasant to use: because it will be prettier and will make a more pleasant crystalline sound.

An advantage and not the least it will give much more character and beauty to your interior.

By the way, if you want to have ideas and advice for setting a beautiful table or furnishing your interior with crystal, you will find an article for this purpose on my blog:

“The Art of Setting a Beautiful Table: The Complete Guide in 5 Steps.”

Step 4: Crystal, a unique decorative object.

This will remain a big difference between glass and crystal.

As you have read in this article, you will never find on a glass glass such incredible light refraction, such precise and majestic size details, and the cherry on the cake a very nice sound when you toast with your friends.

I'm not going to give you a decoration lesson, but it's certain that a table decorated with crystal will always be more beautiful.

For example, here is a photo of a table set with pieces of my own making.

Or the Royal Color service.

A new service that we photographed on one of our clients' yachts.

You can clearly see the beauty of the curves and the clarity of the crystal. It really makes a difference.

Also the mix of colors is really incredible. Something you will never find on glasses.

And don't forget that they are mouth-blown and hand-cut, which will bring an even more authentic character to your table. Because each glass will be unique.

Why are there slight variations between my crystal pieces?

Our crystal is made by hand, so each piece is unique.

Slight variations will appear between glasses, indicating that they were made by hand and not by machine.

In fact, one of the easiest ways to recognize if a glass is handmade is to place two pieces of the same series. If the weight is the same, it means that they were made in large quantities using glass molds. A handmade creation can never be that precise.