Wine glasses are a must to make a proper toast on proper occasions. On a daily basis, on the other hand, regular glasses are just average kitchen objects that we use to drink water, juice or any other beverage. These two examples can be made out of several materials, glass and crystal being the most popular ones.
Crystal is actually a kind of glass that is appreciated due to its fine details as well as its refraction and clarity. Glass, on the flip side, is a bit “rougher”. It can be tricky to tell them apart at a glance for a regular person. If you are thinking about buying an expensive set of glassware, however, it wouldn’t hurt to know the differences between these two to make a good purchase.
Crystal |
Glass |
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost | It is usually expensive, or at least pricier than glass. | It is not expensive – it is actually rather affordable. |
| Chemical composition | As mentioned before, crystal is a kind of glass. The difference is that crystal has lead oxide instead of calcium oxide, which is found in regular glass.
Lead is the element that gives this material its famous shine. |
Regular glass is made out of the combination of silica sand, sodium carbonate and calcium oxide (also known as quicklime or burnt lime). |
| Thickness | Expensive crystal is thinner than regular glass. Lead actually makes easier for crystal to be worked at; it allows crystal to be modified at not so high temperatures and for longer times than glass. | Glass is usually thick and has rough detailing. Regular glass is hard to be worked with because in order to shape and modify it, its temperature must be really high. It also only allows a short time either to be blown or shaped. |
| Clarity | The main characteristic of this material is its clarity. It is the main reason that it is used in jewelry, chandeliers and glassware. The more lead it has, the clearer it will be. | Glass is usually dull or cloudy. However, there are several levels of glass clarity. For example, the glass used in windows and windshields is usually pretty clear. |
| Refraction | Just as clarity, refraction usually increases as lead does. One example of refraction is the rainbow that reflects when crystal is exposed to sunlight. | Refraction is the exact same case as clarity when it comes to glass. |
| How is it cut and how does it feel? | It is cut with much more precision than glass. It is soft and usually includes details that can be felt at a simple touch. | Glass is cut more roughly. It doesn’t have as many details as crystal. It is less smoother than crystal. |
| Sound | The sound they make when tapped is one of the main differences. A crystal cup makes a high little noise, similar to a “ping”. | Glass, on the other hand, makes lower noises, like a thud. |
| Weight | Crystal is heavy due to the lead in its composition. It has a solid feel. | Glass is lighter than crystal. It has a hollow, lightweight feel. |
| Health hazard | It is not recommended to store food or liquids in crystal containers due to possible contamination with lead. | Glass on the flip side is highly recommended for saving food and liquids. Glass storage is safe from any kind of contamination. |