Crystal glassware: properties and features of choice

For many years, crystal glassware was a symbol of wealth, luxury and stability. Refined crystal wine glasses and salad bowls were in great demand; they could be seen at social receptions and evening parties. During the Soviet Union, dishes made of such material in abundance occupied the shelves of sideboards, gleaming with faces in the light of chandeliers. Today, such popularity has remained in the past, but nevertheless, crystal ware is in every home.

Crystal is nothing but a type of glass. For the first time, George Ravenscroft mastered the technology of its production in the 17th century. Due to the fact that lead was added to ordinary glass, the material was able to play light, that is, the edges of the resulting dishes shimmered and shone in both artificial and natural lighting. Besides, diamond edges are often added to crystal, which allows dishes to gain additional strength.

Very often you can find decorated crystal glassware. The most popular method is applying golden patterns, for which gold foil is usually used.. Etching, which allows the material to get a beautiful, rich shine, also looks quite interesting. And also masters can mat crystal using fine-grained sand.

Crystal glassware has many significant advantages:

• refined appearance;
• relevance on any occasion;
• strength - unlike ordinary glass, crystal is more difficult to break;
• absence of defects - air bubbles, heterogeneity;
• transparency;
• low thermal conductivity - the glass in the hands will heat up very slowly.

Among the shortcomings, the following points should be noted:

• high cost;
• the need for careful care.

If we talk about some special benefits brought precisely by crystal glassware, then it is practically absent. Rather, crystal does not affect health in any way.

In addition, many believe that drinking from such dishes is nicer than from glass, because the drinks remain cool much longer, and this cheers up and soothes. But in any case, hoping to get any significant benefit from crystal ware is not worth it.

But the dangers of fine dishes should still be mentioned. The crystal contains lead, which does not affect the body too well. But not everything is so scary. The fact is that Due to the hardness of crystal, lead simply does not have time to get into a dish or drink in a few hours. You will need to keep food in such dishes for several days, so that harmful impurities finally "come to the surface."

But even then, poisoning is unlikely to follow, since lead tends to accumulate in the body and not act immediately.

Crystal comes in several forms.

• Mountain. One of the most beautiful species is quartz of natural origin. It is very appreciated for its strength, brilliance, sophistication. From rock crystal make not only dishes. It is also a material for the manufacture of elegant jewelry, lenses, and decor items.
• Lead. As already mentioned, a similar type of material was produced in England. It is practically not subject to destruction; such a crystal cannot be destroyed even by alcohol or alkaline mixtures.
• Barium. Such material is almost completely analogous to lead, but lead itself is replaced by barium.
• Bohemian. There is no lead in this form of crystal; it is nothing but calcium glass. One of the most expensive types of material.

If the composition contains cobalt, the dishes will turn blue, silicon - pink, manganese - purple, cadmium - red. As for the harm from such dishes, it is only theoretical. The additives used for color are harmful, but they are too few to cause a significant blow to health. Nevertheless, food from such utensils is best consumed within a few hours.

Today, the choice of crystal glassware is quite wide. As a rule, in shops you can find beautiful salad bowls, candy bowls, vases, jugs, dishes, napkin holders, plates, tea pairs. But the championship still belongs to the glasses.

To choose a really good dish, you should consider several nuances.

• Crystal - This is a material containing more than 10% lead, and the higher the indicator, the better. You can view the contents on the dishware label. Of course, the higher the percentage, the more expensive the purchase will cost.
• Check the product for light. Quality material will sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow. In addition, you will not see muddy spots or air bubbles inside the selected product. If such flaws are present, then this is a fake.
• Lightly hit the wall with a spoon. A clear, crystal jingle should sound.
• There can be no sharp, rough edges on a quality product. In addition, the dishes will be heavy.

To make dishes made of noble material last as long as possible, it is necessary to adhere to several rules of care:

• Crystal is washed only with cool water;
• when pouring or laying hot in a dish, the container is placed on a wooden stand;
• products do not stack one into another;
• none of the varieties of such dishes are washed in a dishwasher;
• crystal products must not be heated in a microwave or oven;
• After washing, gently wipe the accessories with soft rags or a towel.

Crystal is a material that is capable of losing its original appearance over time. There are many reasons for this, but the most common are usually associated with improper care. In preparation for the holiday, many housewives try to make the dishes look like it was just bought. Fortunately, if we talk about crystal, then there are many techniques for how to restore its former beauty.

• Potatoes. This method will allow you to remove fat from the dishes, especially it is applicable to patterned products with many inaccessible places. In addition, potatoes copes with the hated yellowness on products. Boil a few potatoes, then let the water cool. When the liquid becomes barely warm, immerse the dishes in it and hold there for 10 minutes. After that, it remains only to easily rinse the product. You can use the second method: grate boiled potatoes on a grater and put the resulting mixture in problem areas. After 15 minutes, rinse the dishes.
• Detergents. If time permits, and you need to wash the dishes so that they shine, use glass detergents. Thus, you can well clean tea pairs, plates, wine glasses. Take a plastic bowl, place a soft towel at the bottom. Then fill with a small amount of water and add the selected product, fold the dishes. After a few hours, the products are removed, rinsed and wiped. If you want a perfect shine, rinse your appliances with water and lemon juice.
• Ammonia. One of the easiest methods. Again, you need a basin with a towel, but instead of washing, drop a couple of drops of ammonia in water. After a few minutes, the dishes can be pulled out, rinsed and grated thoroughly.

Finally, we give some useful tips that are recommended to follow when cleaning crystal products.

• Contrary to popular belief, this material cannot be cleaned with soda and sand, as well as other powder formulations. These elements can leave such scratches that they cannot be removed by any available method.
• When washing glasses, grab them by the legs. This will prevent the product from cracking. And also it was already noted that when cleaning in a basin at the bottom of the container should be a towel.
• If there is gilding on the dishes, they are washed with water with a small addition of vinegar.
• If you want to just wipe the product, use lint-free materials for this.

As you can see, caring for crystal products is not too difficult, most importantly, follow a few rules. Perhaps, such dishes do not have such huge popularity as before, but they still remain a frequent “guest” at holiday tables and banquets due to their sophisticated appearance, beautiful overflows and their ability to slightly, but still change the taste of dishes for the better.

On how to clean crystal at home, see the video.