Marketplace
Related Articles
- What's Up With 'Magnifica' Beads?
- Mill Hill Beads
- Discussion On A Variety Of Methods Used To Procure Beads.
- French Cut Steel Beads.
- I Need The Basics On Sringing Beads, Please.
- Size 24/0 Seed Beads.
- E-Beads. Other Options?
- Semi-Precious, 'Bali Silver', 'Swarovksi', Czech, And More.
- Plain Metal Beads???
- 'Swavroski' Crystal.
- 'Gick' Beads.
- Beads In A Gram.
- Bead Hole Problem
- Looking for seed beads-16/18
- Swarovski Crystal Phones
- Where To Buy Size 10 Seed Beads.
- New 'Mill Hill' Beads?
- Matte Glass Beads
- Looking For Porcelain Beads.
Related Categories
- Arts & Crafts
- Beaded Jewelry
- Beading
- Bead Necklace
- Craft Fairs
- Craft Sales
- Glass Beads
- Home Crafts
- Kids Crafts
- Paper Crafts
- Preschool Crafts
- Seasonal Crafts
- Wholesale Beads
Recently Added
- Modern Traditional Anniversary Gifts
- Personalized Stationary Gift
- Last Minute Valentines Gifts
- Personalized Children's Gifts
- Ruby Anniversary Gifts
- Personalized Children Gifts
- Wedding Cash Gift Wording
- Company Christmas Gift Ideas
- Personalized Promotional Gift
- Cheap Corporate Gift Ideas
- Ideas For 50th Birthday Gift
- Christmas Gift Tag Printable
- Anniversary Gifts For Husband
- Personalized Sports Gift
- Modern Anniversary Gifts
- Wedding Gifts For The Groom
- Fun Birthday Gift Ideas
- Personalized Gifts For Birthday
- Christmas Gift Wrap Paper
- Office Christmas Gift Ideas
Most Popular Articles
- The Bay Wedding Gift Registry
- Middle School Crafts
- Glass Beads
- Spring Arts And Crafts For Preschool
- Birthday Gifts For 50 Year Old Female
- Sunday School Easter Crafts For Kids
- Art Craft Games
- Crafts Arts
- Homemade Easy Crafts
- How To Tie Off Elastic.
- Wedding Gift Poems
- Crafts For Teens
- Craft Show Ideas
- Simple Spring Craft Ideas
- Beaded Purse Patterns
- Wooden Art & Craft Supplies Set
- Wooden Art Craft Supplies Set
- Jewelry Bead
- Columbine Beads
- Beaded Bead
Other Great Sites
Q: What Exactly Is Czech , Austrian , Etc "Crystal Glass"?
Q: Are Czech, Austrian, etc., crystal glass beads made of 'Lead Crystal'? I have just started looking at glass findings.
A: Crystal is made with lead, but I don't know all the percentages, but I'm pretty sure 'Swarovski' (the premier Austrian manufacturer) contains around 30% lead. I have no idea whether the lead is able to leech out of the crystal though, so I am unaware of any hazard that lead crystals represent. You cannot really be 100% sure of any colored glass, crystal or plain. Most glass contains heavy metal oxides as a basic pigment, or even a surface treatment. One site that contains info on 'Lead Crystal' as it relates to crystal glasses and decanters is 'Health Canada's' Webpage. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/main/hc/web/datahpb/dataehd/English/IYH/leadcr... Some info from their site (edited): "Acidic beverages will release more lead than non-acidic ones. During the course of a "normal meal" the amount of lead released tends to be low. However, beverages stored in crystal decanters can accumulate very high levels of lead (up to 20ppm, max allowable in canadian beverages is 200 ppb). Studies have shown that exposure to even small amounts of lead can be harmful." Given that saliva is acidic, I wonder what level of lead can possible leach out if someone has the habit of putting their jewelry in their mouth. The max allowable leachable lead in children's products is 90ppm (that is for products that are likely to be mouthed). Lead crystal does " emit " lead over time, but the minimum amounts that are absorbed through the skin is almost too tiny to measure. A person would have to swallow the crystal and have it stay in their system for many years for anything to show up. If a person, over years, sucked on the same crystal, it would show up in their system, but for someone to wear jewelry for a short time, the amounts would be almost nil.