Why is lead in my glassware?
Actually, if it came from us it probably doesn't have any. The concern,
of course, is the risk of exposure to lead, which is highly toxic and
can leach into fluids stored in lead crystal containers. The amount of
lead one might be exposed to from occasionally drinking wine from a
leaded crystal wineglass would be quite small, perhaps less than from
living in an older home where lead solder was used for the plumbing. Any
lead crystal stemware we've ever carried has come from manufacturers who
meet all of the applicable federal guidelines. (You can learn more about
reducing any health risks from using leaded glassware
here.)
Long-term storage of consumables in lead crystal containers is quite
another matter. A recent study at North Carolina State University found
that Port stored in a lead crystal decanter reached levels of 89
micrograms per liter after two days. After four months, the levels were
between 2,000 and 5,000 micrograms per liter. The amount of lead in
Brandy stored in lead crystal for five years reached concentrations of
20,000 micrograms per liter. Contrast this to the Environmental
Protection Agency's standard for drinking water of 15 micrograms per
liter.
Most of us will consume two or three liters of water each day but not
nearly that much wine or spirits. With the exception of Port, wines
aren't normally kept in a decanter for more than a few hours. But liquor
often is. We have never sold lead crystal decanters and for the obvious
health implications don't recommend their use. Our decanters are superb;
hand-crafted of brilliant, lead-free crystal. So we consider this an
avoidable risk.
It appears that Mesopotamian glassmakers may have used some lead in
their glass but its use in modern times began in the early 17th century
when George Ravenscroft (1618-1681), an English merchant with ties to
Venice, was commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers to
find a means of using native raw materials for glass manufacturing that
might be comparable to the renowned Venetian glass from the island of
Murano. Ravenscroft's experiments eventually led to what he called
'crystalline' glass, with relatively high concentrations of lead oxide.
(It's no small irony that Ravenscroft Crystal, the world's leading
manufacturer of fine, lead-free crystal stemware and decanters, takes
its name from the individual credited with creating the lead crystal
industry.)
The addition of lead oxide to the glass matrix does a number of things.
First, it lowers the working temperature of the molten mixture, allowing
more time to shape the piece before it solidifies. That was not
insignificant when all glass was blown by mouth and shaped by hand.
Molten lead crystal has a viscosity a hundredfold less than ordinary
soda glass making it much easier to create pieces without trapped air
bubbles and swirls.
Furthermore, lead crystal is much softer than ordinary soda glass once
solidified, which makes it far more practical for decorative cutting.
Each cut of cut crystal is typically made with a spinning cutting wheel
and subsequently dunked in an acid bath to polish it. The deep-etch
engraving that we practice has no such limitations. The only difference
we notice is that lead crystal engraves faster.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the inclusion of lead oxide in the melt
increases the refractive index of the glass and consequently the index
of dispersion; the amount by which a medium can separate light into its
component spectra. This enhances the brilliance and sparkle of cut
crystal pieces as light reflects and transmits through the edges and
facets of the cuts. Our lead-free crystal pieces are all crafted from
very pure minerals and have a brilliance that approaches that of lead
crystal.
All of which leads us to the following conclusions:
● We do have lead crystal bowls and cups for
awards which are elaborately cut yet have clear panes that we can
engrave one. Otherwise, cut crystal is largely inconsistent with
engraving and therefore superfluous to what we do.
● We're not strongly opposed to lead crystal
stemware or decanters for wine, especially when their use is
intermittent, when appropriate cautions are taken, and when wine is not
being stored in lead crystal. (Please understand that we are not medical
authorities and that we only know the little bit that we have read on
the subject.) Nevertheless, since wine connoisseurs judge a wine in part
by its visual appearance, they avoid cut crystal or colored stemware and
decanters. Therefore, we see no compelling reason why lead-free crystal
isn't perfectly acceptable for wine.
● We do not recommend lead crystal decanters for liquor, since their
usage tends to be for long-term storage. Our lead-free decanters are
made from a very pure mineral which can challenge the high refractivity
and brilliance of non-cut lead crystal.
Imperial Crystal, Inc.
PO Box 510
2440 Old U.S. Highway 287
Laporte, Colorado 80535
Telephone (970) 472-6100
Toll-Free (800) 616-6101
Fax (970) 472-6101
E-Mail Customer Service
