I have wine glasses with 24% pure lead in them. What does this mean? Does it make the crystal glasses worth more or less money depending on the percentage?
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Lead oxide is added to the molten glass while it is being made. That number is the percent of lead in the glass. The higher the percentage (up to 35%), the more sparkly the glass. The higher the percentage, the harder to form crystal. So, I would assume the higher the percentage, the higher price.
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The fundamental makeup of glass and crystal is the same – quartz sand time, soda and potash. The glass mixture, however, although clear, will have a slight green, gray or yellowish tint. Add lead oxides to the mixture and the glass takes on a clearer whiter appearance. The more lead added, the clearer it becomes. The same idea applies to colors in glass. For instance, adding silver oxides to the glass mixture creates a rich, dark cobalt blue, whereas gold oxides product red or cranberry glass.
Any percentage of lead in the glass allows it to be called crystal. To be considered “full lead crystal” the basic mixture must have at least 24-percent lead content (note: exceeding 33-percent lead content causes crystal to become brittle). With so many advances in technology, there are other substances added to glass mixtures, which will achieve the same result as lead oxides. Thus, most all glass today is called “crystal” which implies quality and clarity.