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  • Crystal

Crystal

Glass

By Tim Matthews, JD, FGA, GG, DGA,
CEO and President of JTV
Published: June 2014
Modified: May 2022
Crystal Polished Crystal Jewelry
Table of Contents
  • General Information
  • Crystal Colors
  • Countries of Origin
  • Care

Crystal also known as lead glass or crystal glass had been used for ornamentation since it was invented. Crystal is famous for its use in glassware and decorative objects, but it is also a popular bead material and is often used to simulate gemstones.

General Information

  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical Properties
  • Chemistry & Crystallography
Common Name
Crystal
Species
Glass
Transparency
Opaque-Transparent
Dispersion
Strength: Moderate if Contains Lead Value: 0.041
Refractive Index
1.470-1.700
Optic Character
NA
Polariscope Reaction
Anomalous Double Refraction (ADR), Singly Refractive (SR)
Hardness
4-6
Specific Gravity
2.300-4.500
Toughness
Poor
Inclusions
sometimes contains small air bubbles
Luster
Vitreous
Stability
Good
Fracture
conchoidal
Cleavage
none
Chemical Name
silica
Crystal System
NA

Crystal Colors

  • Bi-color Crystal
    Bi-color
  • Yellow Crystal
    Yellow
  • White Crystal
    White
  • Red Crystal
    Red
  • Purple Crystal
    Purple
  • Pink Crystal
    Pink
  • Orange Crystal
    Orange
  • Multi-color Crystal
    Multi-color
  • Green Crystal
    Green
  • Gray Crystal
    Gray
  • Colorless Crystal
    Colorless
  • Brown Crystal
    Brown
  • Blue Crystal
    Blue
  • Black Crystal
    Black

Countries of Origin

Benin; Papua New Guinea; Angola; Cambodia; Virgin Islands (British); Sudan; Kazakhstan; Paraguay; Portugal; Grenada; Moldova (the Republic of); Greece; Latvia; Mongolia; Montserrat; Morocco; Unknown; Mali; Guadeloupe; Panama; Guatemala; Iraq; Chile; Nepal; Argentina; Ukraine; Belize; Ghana; Zambia; Bahrain; Congo; India; Canada; Turkey; Belgium; Namibia; Finland; South Africa; Bermuda; Georgia; Jamaica; Peru; Turkmenistan; Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of); Germany; Yemen; Tanzania, United Republic Of; Puerto Rico; Viet Nam; Hong Kong; Chad; Somalia; Madagascar; Thailand; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Libya; Costa Rica; Sweden; Malawi; Liechtenstein; Poland; Bulgaria; Jordan; Kuwait; Nigeria; Tunisia; Palestine, State of; Croatia; Syrian Arab Republic; Sri Lanka; Uruguay; United Arab Emirates; Kenya; Switzerland; Spain; Lebanon; Azerbaijan; Cuba; Liberia; Burkina Faso; Mauritania; Swaziland; Congo (the Democratic Republic of the); Israel; Australia; Tajikistan; Estonia; Myanmar; Cameroon; Gibraltar; Cyprus; Malaysia; Iceland; Oman; Bosnia And Herzegovina; Armenia; Gabon; Austria; Mozambique; El Salvador; Korea (the Republic of); Monaco; Luxembourg; Brazil; Algeria; Slovenia; Lesotho; Colombia; Ecuador; Hungary; Republic of Kosovo; South Sudan; Japan; Belarus; Taiwan (Province of China); Albania; Bolivia (Plurinational State of); Lao People's Democratic Republic; Norfolk Island; Virgin Islands (U.S.); New Zealand; Senegal; Honduras; Italy; Nauru; Ethiopia; Haiti; Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of); Afghanistan; Burundi; Russian Federation; Singapore; Czechia; United States of America; Egypt; Sierra Leone; Malta; Saudi Arabia; Netherlands; Pakistan; Gambia; China; Ireland; Qatar; Slovakia; France; Lithuania; Serbia; Kyrgyzstan; Reunion; Bhutan; Multiple; Romania; Niger; Philippines; Rwanda; Uzbekistan; Bangladesh; Barbados; Nicaragua; Norway; Botswana; Denmark; Dominican Republic; Mexico; Uganda; Zimbabwe; Suriname; Greenland; Montenegro; Dominica; Indonesia

Care

Normal care

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