How do You Tell a Crystal from a Glass Chandelier?
When browsing for the perfect chandelier, it helps to know whether glass or crystal will better fit the decor of a room.
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When browsing for the perfect chandelier, it helps to know whether glass or crystal will better fit the decor of a room. Generally, crystal chandeliers give off more color, but the fundamental difference between glass and crystal is the lead content. In the U.S., glass with 1 percent of lead or more is deemed a crystal, while in Europe glass becomes a crystal only when lead content exceeds 10 percent.
How can you tell if a chandelier is crystal?
â–º Step 1
Lift each piece in your hand to determine the weight. Lead content can vary in a crystal from 1 percent to 40 percent. Either way, lead is dense and will add more weight to the glass. The crystal piece will be heavier.
â–º Step 2
Look at each piece closely. The clearer piece will be the crystal piece, on account of the lead inside. An increase in lead content leads to more clarity in the crystal.
â–º Step 3
Hold each piece up to the light. White light passes through the plain glass, while lead allows more light to pass through the crystal and maximizes diffraction, thereby creating a dazzling spectrum of light that is easily recognizable.
â–º Step 4
Note the body of the chandelier from which the pieces were pulled. If the frame is brass, copper, bronze, or iron, the chandelier is most likely crystal, because its weight requires the body to be robust.
What's the difference between real crystal chandeliers and glass?
One of the most common questions we get asked is “What is the difference between real crystal chandeliers and glass”. Glass is made up of melted sand. When most crystal is made, it is infused with 5%-30% lead. This lead creates the light refraction you see, which equals thousands of colors sparkling as light passes through the glass.
High quality crystal is very clear and clean, and it sparkles with even the smallest amount of light. Cheap crystal, on the other hand, is foggy and faint and doesn’t have near the sparkle. The difference between high quality crystal and cheap crystal is hard to see with the naked eye until you are aware of these differences—at which point you notice it all the time!
How to Identify Crystal Chandeliers
Identifying Drip Pans
One way to identify the maker of an antique crystal chandelier is by examining the drip pans. Drip pans, also called bobeche, are the cup-like pieces of crystal located at the base of each candle nozzle, and originally were designed to catch candle wax.
Characteristics of French-made chandeliers include shallow, pressed-glass drip pans with a floral shape. British chandeliers may be identified by a very distinctive star-shaped drip pan with almond-shaped drops -- shaped glass pieces with holes drilled on one or both ends -- hanging from each point. A classic Baccarat drip pan features a round, thinly cut piece of glass with fluted edges, similar to a pie crust.
Examine the Glass Color
The color of the glass in an old crystal chandelier is another clue as to its origins and age. The high lead content of a 19th-century chandelier makes the glass appear to have a gray tint. This is a good indication that the chandelier is authentic and not a modern reproduction. Baltic chandeliers, which originate from Sweden or Russia, have a characteristic blue, dish-shaped piece in the center. Bagues chandeliers, of French origin, commonly feature colored kite-, almond- or plaque-shaped drops.
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