Part 2 of 5 Part Series on Understanding Crystal as a Material
But you say: “Lead?!?! I’ve seen enough public service announcements with babies chewing on paint chips to know that lead = poison.”
Sounds scary, but let’s all stay calm, the lead, or really lead oxide in these crystals is bound into the structure of the crystals and cannot readily leak out. An article on Beadboard.net includes a letter from Swarovski which cites experiments that have been conducted on its crystal to test the safety of the lead content:
“Because of this structure, lead crystal poses no significant risk of excessive lead exposure to human health via surface contact (hand to mouth), mouthing or even ingestion. Indeed, Swarovski crystals have been tested under a variety of test methods for extractable lead. Test conditions and procedures do vary, but lead levels are well below regulatory limits even when the crystal is tested in an acid solution to maximize the release of lead.”
So, the lead content in crystals is totally safe to be used in jewelry for everyday wear. However, I advise against sticking crystals on the ends of sticks and sucking on them as lollipops, or crushing them up into your power pro-biotic smoothie, even if, according to Swarovski, that wouldn’t be too much of a health hazard (pointy shards aside…).
*A quick warning about leaded crystal decanters and goblets: these do pose a bit of a problem since alcohol, as well as acidic substances like juices and vinegars, encourage the leaching of lead into the solution, and can cause lead poisoning though ingestion if these liquids are kept in the containers for an extended period of time (approx. over two weeks). Use crystal glasses and decanters right before serving and you should be fine.*
Also, the process of making the lead oxide does expose factory workers to toxic chemicals and we can only hope that they are adequately protected (I’m talking to you, China). There is also an ecological impact to lead mining that should be noted.
If you are worried about the ecological impact of all the lead in the crystals, you can always opt for the lead-free varieties of crystals. The highest quality I’ve found is the Spectra or Alternative Quality line of crystals from Swarovski. They are composed of glass, and cut differently from leaded crystal in order to best capture the shine of the glass medium. For comparable quality at a lower price, I suggest Turkish crystals. These are hand-cut and polished, and also shimmer well for glass. But I have to say that after a long time of comparing the two, glass, no matter how it is cut, can never look as stunning and brilliant as full lead crystal sparkling in light.
So, where do all these pretty little crystals come from? (Part 3)
Sources:
Personal Experience
http://www.cristalier.com/
http://www.chandelierparts.com/aboutourcrystal.aspx
http://www.beadboard.net/lead-swarovski-crystal-beads
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