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HISTORY OF CRYSTAL
The word crystals originates from the Greek word "Krystallos" meaning clear ice, and once was referred particularly to quartz, rock crystal. Rock crystal fascinated people early in history. It was used to make luxury items and jewelry for the top society classes. The history of crystal dates back thousands of years to the Mesopotamian times and although it has been around for many years, lead crystal has only been in existence since the second half of the 17th century.
MAKING GLASS IN EUROPE
European glass industry developed at the end of 13th Century when Venice emerged as a major glass making center. Venetian glass was recognized for its brilliance, light and artistic forms. By 15th Century, Venice became the major producer of glass products in Europe. Another two centuries later, in 1676, English glassmaker George Ravenscroft revolutionized the methods of adding the lead oxide to enhance the brilliance of glass as used today. He discovered that by adding lead oxide to his molten mixture he could not only improve the clarity of the glass but also increase the weight, the index of refraction and the ability to cut it without fracturing. Lead crystal has been born. And this discovery lead to a booming crystal glasses market which eventually spread throughout Europe and later to America. Ravenscroft established his first own glasshouse and in the 1700’s the number of glasshouses in England grew dramatically. However, because of a tax law, majority of manufacturers moved to Ireland, making it a new center of crystal stemware market. In 1783, Waterford Glass House was founded in the port city of Waterford. Glasshouses flourished in Europe throughout the 1800s with Swarovski in Austria, Orrefors in Sweden, Bohemia Crystal in Czech Republic and many more becoming great crystal stemware manufacturers. In 1892, Daniel Swarovski invented a machine to cut jewelry stones perfectly. He started to use the Rhine River as a source of energy to run the company’s machinery. That is how the name “Rhinestone” came to be. Today the word “rhinestone” is commonly used for crystals coming from any country.
MANUFACTURING
The traditional method of forming the crystal is done by a highly skilled blower who forms the shape by means of his skill or by blowing the “gather” into a rough mold. After cooling, the blank is ready to be cut, polished and decorated in the design the artisan has chosen. Each piece of original hand cut lead crystal is a unique product of the individual artist who created it. The finest crystal stemware is always manufactured by hand and within a set of crystal glasses of the same pattern there may be extremely slight variations in design size and spacing of the details. This amplifies the beauty of the artwork and lets us appreciate such a unique artisanship. Bohemia Crystal is the world's most recognized crystal manufacturer specializing in crystal wine glasses, crystal goblets, liqueur glasses, sherry glasses, brandy glasses, whiskey glasses, champagne glasses, crystal water glasses, shot glasses, crystal picture frames, crystal boxes, crystal candle holders, wedding centerpieces, crystal perfume bottles, crystal dishes and much more. Bohemia Crystal offers the most beautiful crystal vase, crystal decanter, wine carafe, crystal candelabra, crystal bowl, crystal candy dish, crystal pitcher, crystal bell, crystal ice bucket, crystal ring holder, crystal ashtray and gravy boat.
BOHEMIA CRYSTAL
The highest quality crystal cut in the industry - PK500 or Lace Cut is owned by Bohemia Crystal. The PK500 Design is named after its creator Mr. Prostrednik P-K. In 1923 Mr. Prostrednik created PK500 pattern and in 1929 the PK500 pattern dominated the worlds market. The PK500 pattern is what makes Bohemian crystal glasses stand out front the rest of the crystal stemware in the world. It is a mixture of superb artistic work and tradition, which is carried from generation to generation. Many experts say that Bohemian crystal stemware and especially PK500 pattern is "the finest in the world" due to it's difficulty of exact cuttings. It is the most expressive among the richly cut decors. Bohemian crystal stemware has gained its fame thanks to its exceptionally fine cut execution resembling the lace. In the world it has become the synonym for the general term “Bohemia Crystal” or “Czech Crystal”. Czech lead crystal dates back to the renaissance period, and the people's desire for antique cut stones. By the beginning of the 18th century, Bohemia Crystal had a strong control over world markets. Business centers called ” Bohemian houses” were in the 12 biggest European cities, 38 European ports and outside of Europe, in Baltimore, Beirut, Cairo, Mexico, New York and Smyrna. You could say that the houses were the first department stores of their age. All attempts by other countries to imitate original Bohemian crystal glasses were unsuccessful. In the 19th century Bohemian lead crystal flourished and its crystals still keep their unique appearance today. No other crystal glasses could, and can, offer the same look. Currently, Bohemian lead crystal is exported to all countries on all continents.
CRYSTAL VERSUS GLASS
The meaning of crystal versus glass varies according to the country. The word “crystal” means, in most of the world, the presence of lead. According to European Union rules, glass products containing less than 4% lead are defined as glass. Goods containing more than 30% lead are defined as “highly leaded crystal”. In the USA, glass is defined as “crystal” when it contains only 1% lead. In the Czech Republic, home of the most renowned crystal manufacturers, the term “crystal” is used only for the most exquisite, high quality goods containing more than 24% lead oxide. Czech crystal adheres to the highest standards in the crystal manufacturing industry.
PROPER CARE OF CRYSTAL GLASSWARE
Extra care should be taken when cleaning crystal glasses. The use of harsh detergents, excessive heat (using your automatic dishwasher) excessive cold, rapid temperature changes and abrasives should absolutely be avoided. Use of a mechanical dishwasher will result in producing a “cloudy” surface to the crystal or even cracking the crystal. We highly recommend washing your crystal by hand in warm water with a small amount of mild detergent, rinse then dry with a soft cloth.
Timeless Crystals of Europe
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