Vintage Crystal Glassware

When the family gathers on special occasions, Nana opens the china cabinet and the prismatic brilliance of the crystal high-ball or low-ball glasses and stemware are taken out for serving drinks. The weight of the glass in my hand, the soprano note it hits when my ring taps it, and the feel of the cut facets on my fingers are a satisfying part of the ritual. However, antique or vintage crystal comes with a health hazard warning.

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I believe in living an eco-conscious life and buying vintage helps achieve that goal. I also love the retro aesthetic of my cocktail bar, so visiting antique stores and flea markets makes for a fun quest.

I'm fortunate to live around a treasure trove of antique (100+years old) and vintage (40+years old) stores and outdoor markets. (See the map in Antique Road Trip #1)

Choosing whether to purchase vintage crystal glasses and stemware depends on who is using it, how you are using it, and how often.

My cocktail bar: a vintage BOLS dancing ballerina

musical bottle, a vintage Pierre oil painting and

up-cycled glass shelf.

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A little history: heavy metals or even radioactive?

By definition, crystal contains lead oxide and therefore, contains lead. The earliest known fragment of glass containing lead oxide dates from Mesopotamia in 1400 BC. In 1674, George Ravenscroft patented the formula for crystal, starting production on an industrial scale. Vintage Green glass is this colour because of uranium oxide, a radioactive material.

Vintage red glass is the result of adding the heavy metal cadmium to the molten quartz.

Lead is a cumulative toxin and over time causes serious neurological damage. Lead is transferred from mother to fetus and in young children it damages the growth of a developing brain. Regulations were passed reducing lead oxide content in crystal glass from 36% to 10-24% 1969 in the US and in 1976 in Canada. Crystal is still produced today. Waterford, a major crystal manufacturer, only stopped using lead in its crystal recently. But there is no need to be afraid of your crystalware. Just use it wisely.

Uranium oxide glass under black light

According to Health Canada:

There are steps you can take to reduce your exposure to lead and cadmium:

• Use crystalware only when serving

• Store food or beverages in lead-free containers

• Soak new crystalware in vinegar for 24 hours and rinse it thoroughly before you use it

• Wash crystalware by hand using a mild detergent; dishwasher detergents can damage the surface of the crystalware, causing more lead (and cadmium, if present) to be released the next time the crystalware is used

• Use lead-free tableware when serving children or pregnant women

• Eat a balanced diet that includes calcium, iron, protein and zinc; good nutrition will help reduce the amount of lead and cadmium your body absorbs

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/products/lead-crystalware-your-health.html

https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/lead-food-and-foodwares

How to identify Lead in crystal

1. Shine white light on glass and it you see a rainbow, you are seeing the prismatic nature of lead in glass.

2. Listen for the sound when you tap the glass with knife or fork, if you have a high pitch ringing sound you have lead.

3. Purchase a test kit from local hardware store or online and follow the directions.

4. Do a water displacement test. Weigh the crystal glass in grams. Fill a large measuring cup with water and submerge the stemware and measure the displacement in millilitres. Divide the weight by volume equaling density. If the measurement is greater than 3 g/ml you have lead.

Interestingly, serving scotch and vodka based cocktails from crystalware is safer than more acidic drinks like wine, port or fruit juices.

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