Colored crystal - rainbow in glass

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Crystal products appeared many millennia ago. This is confirmed by fragments of glass found during archaeological excavations. The found vases made of colored crystal belong to the times of antiquity. The Romans used crystal products. These were seals, vessels, decorations.

Czech or colored crystal pleases a person for more than one century. He appeared in Bohemia - an area that eventually became the Czech Republic, little is known about it. What was the life of its inhabitants, how long it lasted - we do not know. It is known from the lessons of history that before becoming the Czech Republic, it existed under the name of Bohemia.

Colored crystal, glass pearl

Bohemian glass is another matter. This name has survived to this day. Famous products made of Bohemian glass became famous all over the world. It is a durable material, and beautiful too. Its main feature is the incredible iridescent colors that play under the rays of light, turning into fabulous silhouettes.

In all corners of the world it is valued more than any other glass. The first glassblowerswho mastered the technique of creating Bohemian glass were Czechs. Therefore, it is called so - Czech colored crystal.

Crystal is a luxury item

Before, not everyone could afford to buy Bohemian crystal products. It was considered a luxury item. Crystal was purchased only by nobles and rich people. It was impossible for a commoner to have something made of Czech glass.

And since the end of the 12th century, everything has changed. The Czech Republic is becoming an economically developed country, the glass industry is developing. Since the beginning of the 90s of the 16th century, entire glass-blowing workshops have appeared. And very soon colored crystal became available to ordinary people.

Varieties of Czech crystal

In fact, it is worth noting that there are several types of crystal. This is natural and industrial crystal, created by people. Today there are 4 types of crystal:

1. Mountain (this is a natural material).
2. Barium.
3. Lead.
4. Calcium-potassium.

Industrial colored crystal is created by fusing lead oxide with silica, combining sodium, potassium and other additional oxides.

This technology of creating crystal is considered the most difficult and very dangerous. Failure to comply with norms and specifications can have a sad outcome.

When crystal is made with lead and barium, a very high temperature is needed, reaching 1500 degrees. In this case, various additives and quartz sand are used. With their help, the moststrong crystal.

Unique glass carving

Colored crystal "Bohemia" is famous for its special glass carving, the founders of which were the ancient Romans. In ancient times, various vessels were decorated with such carvings. Later, this technique was used in the manufacture of glassware.

The court jeweler of Emperor Rudolf II was the first who began to widely use the ancient technique in the creation of glass products, thereby glorifying himself and glass throughout the world. He used his own special technique for this. These are faceted glass products with fine engraving, diamond edges and puncturing.

From that time a new era of glassblowing craft began. A unique, idiosyncratic style in the art of Bohemian glass cutting has spread all over the world. Czech crystal products have gained incredible popularity in Europe. And soon the products flooded the entire market in the Middle East.

All products of Czech craftsmen differed from the products of other craftsmen. I was struck by colored crystal, first of all, by its unique aesthetic beauty. The first to acquire Czech glass were the Ottoman sultans.

True, in the VI century, Czech glass was not yet the crystal that it is now. So it was until the end of 1676, that is, until one glass blower, a British by nationality, tried to add lead oxide to the composition of Bohemian glass. Crafty Ravenscroft tried many methods.

He sought to create strong and, at the same time, beautiful glass. Special placeamong the experiments took a diamond imitation. She made glass a beautiful, resonant and durable material.

With the advent of such glass, the first crystal appeared. It differed from all other types of brilliance and incredibly beautiful sound. Later, the Czech glassblower Müller began to use the achievements of Ravenscroft, after which, in the middle of 1684, colored crystal appeared, exactly as we know it. Nowadays in the Czech Republic, two methods of glass production are used:

1. Bohemian glass.
2. Painted glass.

Secrets of Czech Crystal

The mystery of its creation goes back centuries. In the creation of Bohemian glass, only old technologies for its manufacture are used. Thanks to them, after hardening, it becomes clean, durable, with a special shine.

Crystal becomes like this as a result of the work of cutters and grinders. At the same time, all work is carried out exclusively by hand, which makes glass sparkle along with diamonds.