Many people confuse crystal with glass where as these both are not at all the same thing but one is the transformation of the other. The meaning of the word “crystal” is, “the presence of lead”. A material considered to be a crystal is because of the chemical composition of it. A glass can only be called a crystal if it contains only 1% lead. When there is lead present in glass, it softens the glass and makes it easier to cut and engrave on it. A glass can have almost 40$ lead whereas a crystal can only have 24% of lead in it.
Now let us come to what exactly a Bohemian crystal is. The Bohemia crystal is produced in the region of Bohemia, which is now a part of Czech Republic, since the 16th century. This crystal is widely famous for its highest quality, being the most beautiful crystal, and craftsmanship. The Bohemian crystal contains almost 24% lead crystal in it.
This crystal is known for being brilliant. It is internationally recognized because it has a high amount of lead which causes the refractive index in a glass and so the glass in turn separates the light, targeted on it, into all its colors. It is beautiful. The more cuts created in the glass, the more fascinating effect is created as more light can be then reflected through the glass.
There are different items that can be made using bohemian crystal, to name a few, glasses, white wine glasses, plain bowls, vases for decoration and many more. The quality is not compromised while making glasses or any other item out of the Bohemian crystal and that is why this crystal is so famous all around the globe.
There are two types of Bohemian crystals, cased crystal, and clear crystal. The cased crystal is made up of two layers of crystals. One of the layer is clear and the other one is colored. These both are melted together with the colored one being the outer layer. Then the cutters cut through the outer layer in a way that, in the designs that are made, the inner layer shines through. It enhances the beauty of the crystal even more. And the clear crystal is just clear. Both of the cased and clear crystals, come in different sizes, shapes and patterns. Some of them are decorated even more with the help of porcelain paint.
The Bohemian crystal is to be taken care of because it is softer than the regular glass. It is made softer with the help of lead oxide. The most important reason of using lead oxide is to make the glass soft so that deeper cuts and designing can be done to make it look attractive. The more decorated the crystal is, the more price can be charged for it after all.