Lead crystal as the exclusive glass

Lead crystal as the exclusive glass 

For centuries, lead crystal has been the most typical raw material for crystal products. Its English name is lead crystal or lead glass. One of the main constituents of this material is lead oxide. Lead crystals contain 24% of this (24% PbO). With lead oxide, they were able to modify the glass base in the melt to provide the required reflection (light reflection), the ringing sound. The melt itself was shaped by hand in glass moulds by glass blowers, and later worked by glass grinders if necessary. In Hungary, in the past, this type of product was most commonly made in Ajka (Ajka Kristály) and Parádsasvár. The Parádsasvár factory has since closed. Nowadays, Black Crystal is also part of the crystal producers. The new raw material for modern crystal production is nowadays the so-called lead-free crystal. 

Manual sanding - glass sanding 

In most cases, lead crystal is decorated by traditional glass cutting. This is an old craft technique in which the decoration is cut into the product using a disc, nowadays an industrial diamond. The resulting polished product can also be a sophisticated and beautiful piece of home decor. This artistic task requires great care and concentration. 

Of course, not only lead crystal products are polished by hand. It is also used to grind other materials. The name of the raw material used can be: 

• lead crystal 

• lead-free crystal 

• Glass 

Lead crystal decoration with sandblasting 

Lead crystals can also be decorated by sandblasting. This special process consists of using a template to polish part of the surface and "abrading" the rest with quartz crystals. Once the sand has been applied, great care must be taken to remove any stencils left on the product, as well as any tiny sand particles. 

Gilding 

You can also place gold decorations on the lead crystal. These can be either shiny or matt. The gold decoration can stand alone, but can also be made more decorative by engraving. 

Painting the lead crystal 

Painting as a decoration technique is also in fashion. It is used in a similar way to porcelain. However, the pattern created here cannot be fired at the same high temperature as a painted porcelain, due to the relatively low melting temperature of lead crystal. 

Engraving 

This is a very similar technique to glass cutting, but the decorations are more elaborate and require more manual skill. It is typically used to create depictions of horsemen, hunters and other scenes on crystal. 

Swarovski crystal decoration 

A Swarovski crystal is actually a special type of lead crystal, where the lead oxide content reaches or exceeds 30%. In this decoration, the crystals are simply placed in the intended location using a special adhesive. It is a meticulous job requiring great concentration. The resulting ornament almost glows. 

The finished lead crystal 

Finished products are usually marked with a circular gold sticker indicating the characteristics. At Black Crystal (Ajka), we also use unique product identifiers with EAN code. 

Typical products made from this material include bowls, crystal vases, glasses, chalices, lamps, bottles, pitchers, candle holders, bonbonnieres and other decorative items. In particular, I would like to highlight the brandy and whisky glasses, which are becoming increasingly popular these days. The above-mentioned products can also be seen at various prestigious art exhibitions. 

As lead oxide is mined, the prices of products made from this material are higher. But they are still perfect as Christmas gifts, weddings, retirement gifts, wedding presents or even anniversary presents. What's more! As home decoration in your home, they are the perfect choice. True, lead crystal prices are not the cheapest, but owning such a beautiful and sophisticated product is worth it.