Home   >   Daily Wire Jewelry Tips   >   Daily Wire Tip Oct. 2: Czech Glass

Daily Wire Tip Oct. 2: Czech Glass

By on October 2, 2009
Print Friendly

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip October 2, 2009
Czech Glass

Question:

You answered a question re disclosing content of items sold, re lead content etc.  Your answer mentioned Czech glass. Does all Czechoslovakian Glass contain lead?

Answer:

As far as I know, right now California is the only state in the union that has a law against using any embellishment with lead, and this is only on children’s clothing. (Probably to avoid issues if a child were to put something from their clothing in their mouth and swallow it.)

Many years ago I worked for a company that sells fine cut glass and full lead crystal tableware and decorative items for the home. Although rules and laws about disclosure and definition vary throughout the world, in the United States an item needs to contain a minimum of 24% lead oxide to be considered ‘full lead crystal’. In Europe glass is considered to be ‘crystal’ if it contains a minimum of 3% lead oxide, and in the United States only 1%. Everything else is just called ‘glass’. Studies show that if a person were to drink from a lead crystal goblet every day for many, many years, a slight trace of lead may appear in their body. Similar results show that keeping wine kept in a lead crystal decanter for many years may also test to show just a trace.

Although many types of glass do have minerals within their composition and sometimes as an outer covering, no, not all Czech glass contains lead.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

2 Comments

  1. avatar

    Terri Quinn

    October 2, 2009 at 12:22 pm

    Given the above response, are you saying we can claim our bead work to be lead-free? Also, I have heard that we need to be especially cautious of red beads/glass. Can you comment on this?

  2. avatar

    Judy Fritts

    October 3, 2009 at 10:56 pm

    You need to check out the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Information Act) for the recent changes in the laws regarding any products made for children 12 and under. These new regulations became law nationwide last August, but were amended so that they don’t take full effect until February of next year (2010). They are very strict. Specifically, no glass or crystal beads are exempt from the requirement that they be tested and proven lead-free. The testing process is expensive, and destroys the item being tested, and can only be done by certified labs. Some metals, like sterling silver and gold and some others are exempt because they are inherenetly lead-free. Some natural, unenhanced gemstones are exempt – aragonite is not, because it contains some lead. Everyone who makes jewelry that might be sold to or for a child needs to be aware of these severe changes to the law – doesn’t matter which state you live in – this is for the whole country. The website does give detailed information about these changes. THe address is: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/legislation.html