Une histoire de cristal

A CRYSTAL HISTORY

People have long been amazed by the fascinating light and the solidity of rock crystal. We can distinguish three essential places which revolutinized the glass evolution ; first of all Venice, where glass was graceful made of delicate material. Then Bohemia, where the glass has taken the name of Bohemian Crystal because it was strong enough to be engraved and cut. Finally, in England, where lead crystal was discovered with a perfectly clear glass that allows for exceptional word and quicky emerge on the European continent.

In the XVIth century, the Venetian art propagated in central Europe and in Bohemia. Very fast the glass-making factories "like Venice" spread in the forests of Bohemia thanks to the available fuel.

It facilitates an abundance of "glassmakers nests" where fascinated technicians who work on the Venetian and who became rival while they only subcontractors. In factories, we distinguished two types of activities : the hot worker who blows and looks a shapein the glass and the cold worker who cuts and engraved the glass. The biggest development of the glass industry took place in XVIIIth and XiXth century. It is, at that period, that the most known Czech glass factories were founded. Why the Czech glass managed to become a very strong competitor  and even to be better, in certain cases, than the faomous Venetian glass ? The experts are unanimous : thanks to the quality of glass-making sands.The original Czech crystal was unleaded. Once it was noticed that the lead improved the quality of the crystal, this technique has spread throughout the world. In Czech republic, two types of crystal are produced : the unleaded crystal of Bohemia and the leaded crystal with about 24 % lead.The Czech market of the glass and the crystal can be proud to be one of the richest and varied of the word and also offering a very high quality.