Types of Glass: Lead Crystal, Borosilicate, Hand-Blown and Pressed
Glass is one of the most ancient and enduring decorative materials, and an understanding of its different types is essential for anyone seeking to collect or use fine glass in the home. The distinctions between types are significant — in quality, appearance, weight, care requirements and suitability for different purposes.
Lead crystal was the dominant luxury glass standard for most of the twentieth century. Lead oxide (typically 24–36%) is added to the glass batch, producing a material that is heavier, more refractive (the characteristic sparkle of crystal), and easier to cut and engrave than standard glass. The high lead content means lead crystal rings with a distinctive tone when tapped — the classic ‘crystal clear’ note. However, lead crystal is now less common in new production: the lead content is a regulatory concern for items in contact with food or drink, and most manufacturers have moved to lead-free crystal compositions that replicate the optical clarity and weight of lead crystal without the regulatory issues.
Lead-free crystal — using barium oxide, titanium or zirconium in place of lead — achieves comparable brilliance and weight. Schott Zwiesel's Tritan crystal and Riedel's machine-blown crystal ranges are produced in lead-free compositions that perform excellently as both functional and decorative objects.
Borosilicate glass is a heat-resistant, chemically stable glass most associated with laboratory and kitchen use (Pyrex is a borosilicate glass). In the decorative context, borosilicate is used by some studio glass artists for its clarity and workability. It is lighter and thinner-walled than crystal, and does not have the same optical refraction — but in the hands of a skilled glass artist, its transparency and neutrality can produce objects of considerable beauty.
Hand-blown glass refers to the technique rather than a specific composition. A glass blower gathers molten glass on a metal rod and shapes it through breath, tools and gravity. The resulting objects carry the marks of the process: slight irregularities in wall thickness, organic form variations, and the distinctive pontil mark on the base where the glass was separated from the rod. These are not imperfections; they are evidence of making. Hand-blown glass in any composition is superior to pressed or moulded glass as a decorative object because it is unrepeatable.
Pressed glass is produced by forcing molten glass into a mould under mechanical pressure. The result is a consistent, repeatable object with sharp moulded detail. Pressed glass is less expensive and perfectly appropriate for functional glassware; for decorative collecting, it lacks the organic quality of hand-blown work.
How to Choose a Decanter: Wine, Whisky and Stopper Types
A decanter performs two functions: it aerates wine or spirit through the act of pouring, and it displays the liquid beautifully. The choice of decanter should be informed by both its intended contents and its placement in the room.
Wine decanters are characterised by a wide base that maximises the surface area of the liquid in contact with air. The base diameter should be generous — a standard Bordeaux decanter has a base diameter of approximately 18–20 cm — and the neck long and narrow enough to pour without spill. The stopper is less important for wine decanters used for same-day service, as wine benefits from open-air contact; a stopper is primarily relevant if the wine will be held for more than a few hours.
Whisky decanters are typically more upright in form, with a narrower base and a tightly fitted stopper that prevents the alcohol from evaporating. The stopper material matters: a ground glass stopper provides the best seal and is the traditional choice. Decanters with cork stoppers are less appropriate for spirit storage, as cork can taint the liquid over time. The decanter collection at Artevaris includes both wine and spirit formats in hand-cut crystal and hand-blown glass.
When choosing a decanter for display purposes — as an object on a bar cart, sideboard or drinks tray — the aesthetic considerations take precedence. A hand-blown decanter with an organic, slightly irregular form is more interesting as an object than a perfectly symmetrical pressed-glass one. The colour of the glass — clear, smoked, amber, deep blue — should be considered in relation to the surface it will sit on and the other objects it will accompany.
Selecting Vases: Proportion, Mouth Width and Placement
A vase is one of the most present objects in a domestic interior because it is almost always in one of two striking states: filled with flowers or unfilled and entirely visible as an object. Both states must be accounted for when choosing.
The proportion of the vase — the relationship between its height, its widest diameter and the width of its mouth — is the primary aesthetic consideration. A very tall, narrow vase with a small mouth is dramatic but highly constraining for flower arrangements; only long-stemmed, upright flowers suit it. A lower, wider vase with a generous mouth is more versatile but carries less visual weight when empty. The best collections include both types.
The mouth width relative to stem length is the critical functional variable. For roses and garden flowers with full heads, a mouth width of 8–12 cm is generally appropriate; stems can be positioned without drooping. For architectural stems — protea, allium, orchid — a very narrow mouth, 3–5 cm, forces an elegant, graphic arrangement.
When placing an empty vase as a decorative object, consider its relationship to light. A clear or lightly tinted glass vase placed near a window will transmit light beautifully through its form; the same vase against a dark wall will appear as a solid silhouette. The vase collection at Artevaris spans both approaches. For functional glassware alongside decorative pieces, the glassware collection provides complementary options.
Hand-Blown Glass as Collectible Objects
The market for hand-blown glass as collectible domestic objects has expanded considerably since the 1960s, when the American studio glass movement — initiated by Harvey Littleton and his colleagues — established the principle that glass was a legitimate medium for serious artistic expression, not merely a craft material for functional objects.
Contemporary studio glass artists work in a range of techniques: free-blown (shaped without moulds), mould-blown (using moulds for initial form, then further shaped), slumped (sheet glass heated until it slumps over a mould), and cast (molten glass cast in sand or graphite moulds). Each technique produces a distinct visual and tactile character.
Collecting studio glass at the domestic scale — pieces intended for shelves, mantelpieces and sideboards rather than gallery pedestals — is accessible and rewarding. The starting principle is the same as for any collecting: choose only pieces that continue to reward attention after the initial impression has faded. A piece that holds interest from every angle, in different lights and at different distances, is worth acquiring. One that relies on a single dramatic effect exhausts itself quickly.
Murano and the European Craft Tradition
Murano, the group of islands in the Venetian Lagoon, has been producing extraordinary glass since the thirteenth century when the Venetian Republic relocated all glass furnaces there to reduce fire risk to the main city. The isolation of the glass masters on Murano had an unintended effect: it concentrated expertise, encouraged technical innovation, and created a culture of glass making of extraordinary sophistication.
The principal Murano techniques developed over seven centuries include filigrana (canes of coloured glass twisted together to form intricate thread-like patterns within the clear glass), sommerso (layers of different-coloured glass submerged within each other to create depth), millefiori (cross-sections of glass canes arranged in mosaic patterns), and incalmo (joining separately blown sections of different colours at their openings to create banded forms). Each technique demands years of mastery and produces objects that cannot be mechanically replicated.
Murano glass for the domestic market encompasses a wide range from the architecturally serious — large sculptures and installations — to the intimate scale of vases, bowls and decorative objects suitable for a shelf or dining table. Authenticating Murano glass is important: genuine Murano pieces carry a Vetro Artistico Murano trademark and typically come with a certificate of origin. The glass and crystal collection at Artevaris includes pieces in the European craft tradition.
Beyond Murano, the Bohemian tradition of glass — centred on the Bohemian forest region of what is now the Czech Republic — produced the world's finest cut crystal from the seventeenth century onward. Bohemian crystal is characterised by deep, precise cutting, heavy lead content (historically), and a clarity that remains unsurpassed. Riedel, based in Kufstein in Austria, emerged from this tradition and remains one of the most technically refined glass producers in the world.
Displaying Glass Objects: Light, Surface and Grouping
Glass is uniquely dependent on its environment for its full effect. The same glass object can appear dull or brilliant depending entirely on how it is lit and what it is placed against.
Natural light is glass's ideal medium. A clear glass object on a windowsill, backlit by diffuse daylight, becomes a lens: it transmits, refracts and diffuses the light around it. Coloured glass objects — amber, cobalt, green — cast coloured light onto adjacent surfaces, which can be a beautiful effect if planned deliberately.
Artificial lighting for glass display should ideally come from above and slightly behind. A small, directed spotlight above a shelf of glass objects will produce refractive light effects that a flat, frontal light cannot. Glass-fronted cabinets with internal LED strip lighting are the most controlled environment for glass display: the light is consistent, directed, and isolates the objects from the ambient light of the room.
When grouping glass objects, consider the relationship between transparency levels. A group composed entirely of clear glass can appear monotonous; adding one coloured or opaque piece introduces contrast. Vary height, vary form, but maintain a consistent level of quality: one poor piece will devalue the group visually.
Care and Cleaning of Fine Glass and Crystal
Fine glass and crystal should be hand-washed wherever possible. The dishwasher is convenient but damaging over time: the combination of heat, harsh detergents and mechanical vibration etches the surface of lead-free crystal and loosens any ground glass stoppers. After as few as twenty dishwasher cycles, fine glassware will lose its original brilliance and develop a milky haze.
Hand-wash in warm (not hot) water with a small amount of washing-up liquid. Rinse thoroughly and dry immediately with a lint-free glass cloth, polishing to prevent water spots. For decanters with narrow necks, a decanter cleaning brush is essential; lead pellets or decanter cleaning beads are effective for removing stubborn wine residue.
Never store glass or crystal pieces in direct contact with each other without protection. Store decanters with their stoppers removed if they will not be used for an extended period, as ground glass stoppers can fuse with the neck over time (a phenomenon known as ‘freezing’). If a stopper has frozen, immerse the neck in warm water or apply a small amount of glycerine around the joint.
- What is the difference between lead crystal and regular glass?
- Lead crystal contains lead oxide (typically 24–36%), which makes it heavier, more refractive (producing the characteristic sparkle), and more sonorous when tapped. Regular glass contains no lead and is lighter and less refractive. Modern lead-free crystal uses barium oxide or titanium compounds to achieve similar optical and acoustic properties without the regulatory concerns of lead.
- How do you clean a crystal decanter properly?
- Hand-wash with warm water and a small amount of washing-up liquid using a long-handled decanter brush for the interior. For wine stains, use decanter cleaning beads or uncooked rice with warm water, gently swirled. Rinse thoroughly, invert to drain, then dry with a lint-free cloth. Never use a dishwasher, which will etch the surface over time.
- How can I tell if Murano glass is authentic?
- Authentic Murano glass carries the Vetro Artistico Murano trademark — a label or etching on the base — and typically comes with a certificate of origin signed by the maker. Look for the characteristic signs of hand-working: slight irregularities in wall thickness, organic form variations, and the pontil mark on the base. Perfectly symmetrical, featureless pieces are more likely to be mass-produced imitations.
- How should glass objects be displayed at home?
- Position glass objects where they will interact with light — on a windowsill for natural backlighting, or on a shelf with a directed overhead spotlight. Vary heights and forms within a group and introduce one coloured or opaque piece to contrast with clear glass. Avoid displaying on very dark surfaces, where the bases of glass objects will appear heavy and the transparency of the glass is lost.
- What is the difference between a decanter and a carafe?
- A decanter is a sealed vessel used to aerate wine or store spirits, typically with a stopper. A carafe is an open vessel, usually without a stopper, used for serving water or wine at the table. Decanters are designed to hold the liquid for longer periods and their stoppers prevent evaporation; carafes are intended for immediate service and pouring.
