What is Crystal?
Crystal is not just for grandma's. Crystal is cool. Crystal vases come in all sizes from tiny micro vases and bud vases that hold one flower to large vases that hold a bouquet. In this post I discuss the surprising history of crystal. Adding lead to glass goes back to Eighteenth dynasties of Egypt (14th century B.C.). But they added lead for color. What we call lead crystal today began to be commercially produced about 300 years ago in England. In this week's post I show arrangements in various crystal vases.
The history of crystal is interesting. The history of crystal is tied with the history of glass, and the first archaeological evidences of glass come from Egypt, and also from the coast of northern Syria of all places, which was known as Mesopotamia, in about 3500 B.C. during the 14th century B.C. (1301-1399 B.C.). Egyptians added lead antimonate yellow, calcium antimonate white and cobalt and copper blues to add color to glass.
England had already become a center for the production of glass in the 1500's when Queen Elizabeth became a benefactor to Venetian glassblowers who had come to London from Venice. Lead crystal was first commercially manufactured in London in 1673 by George Ravenscroft. Lead crystal was made by adding lead oxide (a yellow powder) to molten glass. So the Egyptians added lead antimonate to glass to add color, whereas Ravenscroft discovered adding lead oxide to the glass made it clearer and more stable. So glass is really old but lead crystal is fairly new.
Good things to know:
Crystal Vases
Crystal must contain a minimum of 24% lead to be considered crystal.
The clearer the vase is the more lead it contains.
Fine crystal can contain as much as 40% lead.
Lead content allows a longer time glass blowers can work with the glass.
Crystal is blown by a glass blower and designs are cut into the glass.
Sizes of vases shown range from micro vases 2 3/8" H x 2" Diam, to tall vases 11.5" H x 5.5" Diam.
Shhhh!!! (You can use clear flat glass marbles to hold single stems straight.)
Where to find cyrstal vases:
- Macy's
- etsy
- ebay
- Antique Stores
- Second hand Stores
- Home Goods Stores
- Marshall's
- Your aunt's closet
My Favorite Crystal Vase Arrangements:
