When most people think of high-end glass, they think of traditional LED glass, for example, a wine glass that has that wonderful heavy-handed feel that shines with a faceted shine, and the lovely ring sing-song that resounds when you touch it. That kind of glass. For a long time, only LED crystal produced these exquisite attributes. While lead crystal is still extremely popular, there is another type of high-quality glass that can provide the same experience.
Plain glass
“Normal” glass, such as a typical water glass, pint glass, glass baking dish, etc., is what is known as soda lime glass. Not particularly shiny or beautiful, but functional and in most cases much more durable than glass. Soda lime glass consists of several main ingredients: soda ash, lime, dolomite, silicon dioxide, and aluminum oxide, along with minor amounts of other ingredients called “clarifying agents.” These ingredients are melted in a furnace at a very high temperature. The melted liquid rests for a bit to allow the bubbles to come out of it; this is called “finishing out.” The glass is then formed using different processes depending on the purpose of the final product, i.e. drinking glass, window pane, windshield, etc. In the case of traditional glass, lead is added.
lead crystal
Traditional lead crystal adds another ingredient to the regular glass mix: lead oxide. The addition of lead produces a couple of unique attributes that make glass “crystal clear.” Soda glass contains structureless molecules, known as amorphous. There is no specific order, but they are tightly bound together, making soda lime glass more durable. The molecules in lead crystal have a distinct three-dimensional order. These molecules produce the sparkling glow in the glass. Crystal has a higher “refractive index” than normal glass and the higher the index, the brighter. Adding lead to glass also causes it to melt at a lower temperature and absorb less energy than soda glass. This is what makes the crystal sound when you touch it.
lead free crystal
While lead crystal purists will probably always use it, there is now an alternative with the same characteristics. This provides an option for those who enjoy high quality crystal but are concerned about the lead content in anything containing consumables. This is mainly relevant to decanters, which I’ll get to in a moment. When lead-free crystal is made, the lead is replaced by barium oxide (BaCO3). The introduction of barium oxide produces a glass with a comparatively high refractive index, subsequently increasing its brightness. Barium oxide is also lighter than lead oxide, making glass lighter while having about the same durability. For those concerned about the lead content in their glassware, as mentioned above, it really only raises a health issue for crystal decanters. The reason is that wine and spirits tend to keep in decanters for longer than a glass of wine. This produces a longer window of time for the lead to leach out. Personally, I don’t store wine in decanters for a long time; for me, it’s more about aeration and presentation, so I’m not concerned with the issue at all.
Lead crystal vs. lead free crystal
It really is just a matter of personal preference if you want to choose one over the other. There are several high-end crystal manufacturers who make exquisite lead-free crystal. I have used them a lot and the only real difference I have noticed is the variation in weight. Either way, wines taste much better in a high-quality crystal glass than in a regular glass any day of the week.
Health!