Crystal Awards Emanate Elegance
Article Written By: Jeff Anderson
Crystal awards are made from crystal and by law if the crystal contains 24% or more lead oxide it must be called full lead crystal. Lead adds to the brilliance and of course, the weight. Crystal without lead is still crystal but is generally called glass. The addition of lead oxide to crystal makes it softer and easier to cut. This explains why lead crystal is cut and not just shaped as is glass. This is an important aspect to the making of crystal awards. To create the intricate shapes of crystal awards you must be able to easily shape the crystal. Crystal also contains limestone and soda ash. These ingredients make the crystal hard enough to withstand time. They are melted or fused together in an oven that reaches temperatures of 1600c, that is the same temperature a jet engine reaches. Once the crystal is molten it is put under extreme pressure to eliminate any bubbles. Bubbles in crystal are not considered to be a flaw but rather a mark of fine hand craftsmanship.
The cutting of letters and shapes into a crystal award is done with a copper wheel that is abrasive, or in some cases a diamond wheel is used. The cutting gives the crystal award a very clear and crisp design that emanates elegance. Glass has been around since the Roman times. It was likely discovered when cooking on sandy beaches where the sand would melt and when cooled it turned to glass. The art of glassblowing likely took centuries to perfect and even longer for crystal or leaded crystal to be made. The creation of crystal awards has had a long and distinguished development, starting with glassblowing. In 50 B.C. glass was considered a luxury item as it took many hours or days to form one vessel. Today crystal is considered a luxury item that is very elegant. That is why crystal is used to make awards. Crystal awards have the extra special meaning. Crystal, like glass, has evolved over the course of time. Black crystal has become one of the latest additions of many crystal award manufacturer lines. Black crystal awards are even more elegant than a clear crystal award. The black in black crystal is made from adding minerals to the crystal. Black crystal has a very modern look to it. The process creates a crystal that is similar in nature to lead free crystal but blocks low light emission making it appear to be black. Black crystal is much higher quality than black glass. When you want to present an award for that special occasion or you need to convey a very formal message, the crystal award exceeds those requirements. Awards are a great way to recognize an employee or event. Recognition is always appreciated and when the recognition comes in the form of a crystal award it means that much more. When the event or achievement you wish to recognize is important enough to give the very best give the crystal award.About the Author
Jeff Anderson is author of this article on Acrylic Awards. Find more information about Crystal Awards here.
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