About Hand Cut Crystal Glass 2 / 5
The first known cut glass is from Roman times although true lead crystal glass has only been in existence since the second half of the 17th century. An English glassmaker, George Ravenscroft, found that adding lead oxide would vastly improve the clarity of glass. It also increased the weight, refraction index and greatly improved the cutting qualities.
Ravenscroft's discovery lead to considerable growth in demand for crystal glass, although in the early 1900s manufacture declined due to mass production of moulded and pressed glass. This cheaper glass, however, could never compare to genuine crystal - it lacked detail, lustre, sharpness and clarity as well as showing irregular surfaces and lines left by the mould join.
Modern cutting wheels are more sophisticated today and able to produce more intricate cuts in the hands of a craftsman than was ever possible years ago. Nonetheless the time needed to create a fine quality piece of cut glass remains considerable. It can take hours to cut even a small piece while larger items may take days. Mass production of fine detailed products is not economically viable and large cutting houses do not normally make such pieces owing to the high costs. It is reassuring that even with todays advanced technology genuine fine cut crystal glass still requires the expertise of a traditional experienced craftsman
1 / 5 About Hand Cut Crystal Glass
3 / 5 The Traditional Production of Fine Hand Cut Lead Crystal
5 / 5 Looking after Your Lead Crystal Glass