What is the difference between glass and crystal?

Crystal tableware has won the hearts of aristocrats, members of royal families and nobility for centuries. It was valued for its sophistication, beauty and uniqueness. Crystal was used to set festive tables, and to greet dear guests.

Now such tableware is available to every connoisseur, and choosing the right design is not difficult. However, it is not so easy to distinguish crystal from glass, because the Neman Glass Factory makes exquisite things from colorless glass.

What is the real difference between crystal and glass? We decided to find out the answer to this question from the chief technologist of the Neman Glass Factory, Ivan Prokopchik:

— The biggest difference between glass and crystal, of course, is in the composition. Firstly, glass and crystal differ in the sand content. According to the standards, crystal contains up to 52% quartz sand from the total mass of raw materials, but in colorless glass there will be 72% sand.

Quartz sand for the production of products at the Neman Glass Factory is supplied from Russia. In order for it to become glass, it must be combined with other components: chalk, soda ash, sodium and potassium nitrate, potash, zinc white and boric acid. Additional materials are used for crystal. For example, red lead. The correct ratio of ingredients guarantees its characteristic features - "crystal ringing", beautiful play of light and scratch resistance. And here there are some nuances, says Ivan Prokopchik:

- The content of red lead in crystal should exceed 24%. Anything less than this value refers to crystal glass. The characteristics of such glass are significantly lower than crystal. But we do not produce such things, in our production you can find either crystal or glass.

High content of red lead significantly improves the properties of crystal. This is very important in the process of cutting and polishing products. There is no red lead in colorless glass.

Another difference in production is the cooking temperature. Glass requires 1450 degrees to cook, and a crystal furnace maintains a temperature of 1410 degrees.

However, these are the differences that are understandable to technologists and specialists, but what can an ordinary person notice?

Firstly, thermal conductivity. Glass is warmer to the touch and quickly heats up in the hands. Crystal remains cold for a long time.

Secondly, durability. Crystal is much stronger than glass. Of course, it can also be broken, but it will be more difficult to do. And if you succeed, the crystal glass will break into many small fragments. The glass will fly apart into large pieces. You will scratch glass much faster than crystal. This means that over time, glass will become covered with scratches, while crystal will delight you with its beauty longer.

You will notice another difference if you decide to look at an object through glass: the image will be slightly enlarged. Crystal will give a doubling of the object without magnification.

“Crystal ringing” is a characteristic feature of crystal. When two products made of this material touch, a growing, long-sounding hum is heard. Glass only makes a dull knock.

When the technology for creating crystal or glass meets all norms and standards, high-quality products appear on store shelves. Of course, crystal has a number of advantages, but glassware has also long been loved by consumers. Especially considering the new designs and developments that the employees of the Neman Glass Factory are constantly working on.

Source: news.unipack.ru