Lead Free Crystal Glass

You can tell them apart, with practice and light. This is not just for jewelry. It applies to bowls, goblets, flutes, anything crafted of glass and marketed as crystal. 

True crystal has a rainbow of color caused by small amounts of lead being mixed with the glass while it is being made. It is not a coating on the outside. It does not scratch off. This makes crystal naturally heavier then true glass. It may just be a slight difference, but it will be heavier if it is crystal. 

The color play is easy to see if you have natural light. Take this Swarovski bicone crystal bracelet I made: 

You can see the colors, if you move it around, the colors shift too. Compared to these vintage clip on  earrings which are cut glass, not crystal:   

It reflects the blue under it well but does not have the color shifting property of the crystal shown above. It is also easier to see through for the same reason. 

I hope this helps you identify crystal from glass. I would be interested in hearing your experience with misidentified crystal/glass. Feel free to comment below. 

Vintage Must Mean Old

Vintage jewelry is a tricky category.  For one thing vintage is a broad term, that means very little in value. It basically means over 10 years, which mean me and many of my friend qualify as "vintage" Still its is a popular term for old leading to the obvious question, "how old is it?"

There are ways to determine the age of jewelry, but few are foolproof. The thinness of the metal, the makers marks, the presence of pat. pending indicating pre trademark rules are only guidelines. I've seen old pieces in pristine condition like my 1960's Beau sterling silver and jet pin shown here

and 5 year old abused jewelry ignored until it looked over 100 years old.  This is especially true of chains.

The design itself can be a clue, but since things have gone in and out of style repeatedly. So be wary of looks old. The above Beau pin is in an older classic style, but we know Beau jewelry only started in 1947. In this case the mark, gemstone, metal and setting indicate the age. The fact that this had been kept in the original box with the receipt also helped keep it looking pristine.

So if you are just beginning to collect vintage jewelry I urge you to research and learn. Many wonderful pieces are over looked because they look to new. Many newer items are passed off as vintage because it looks old.