Are Lead Crystal Glasses Safe to Use?

Consuming lead is dangerous, toxic, and sometimes deadly, but the use of lead crystal glasses continues. Lead-based paint has been banned for decades, leaded gasoline was phased out by the mid-nineties, and there are strict regulations in place for lead content in our water supply. Any time lead is found in food it is quickly recalled, but lead crystal glasses are still found in kitchens, leaving many people wondering whether they are safe to drink from.

Below, we'll go over how to identify lead crystal and the concerns surrounding this type of glass.

What is Lead Crystal?

Most of the glasses and stemware you encounter are made with some form of soda-lime glass which is a mixture of sodium carbonate, lime, and silicon dioxide. Soda-lime glass is full of amorphous molecules, meaning they don’t settle in any specific order.¹ In lead crystal, the lime is replaced with lead, which encourages a very specific three-dimensional molecular layout. The difference in the molecular structure is what causes lead glass to boast such a high refractive index, creating the distinctive sparkle associated with crystal. Lead crystal is also a softer glass, so it is easier for craftsmen to shape it into beautifully cut designs.

Lead crystal can be easily identified; all you need is a fingernail or a metal utensil. Tap your nail or a fork against the edge of the drinking glass. If it clinks, it's simply made of glass, but if it rings, it's crystal. Generally, the longer the ring, the higher the lead content. Lead crystal is also noticeably heavier than glass due to its metal content but remember to take the drinkware's size and thickness into account when comparing weight. If you hold the drinkware up to the light, glass may make a prism, but lead crystal makes a brighter, more vibrant prism and catches the light better than glass does.²

What are the Dangers of Lead?

Despite its dangers, lead has a long history of use in food-related products. Romans used lead to sweeten their wine, line plumbing pipes, and craft dishware. Reports from this time show that sterility, madness, and gout were rampant among the upper class, leading some scientists to believe that lead poisoning may have contributed to the downfall of Rome.³ More recently, lead exposure from pipes in the United States has been blamed for violent crime spikes in the 1990s as one of the side effects of long-term lead poisoning is impaired decision making.⁴

Long-term exposure to lead can also lead to several different mental conditions. Exposure to lead at a young age may lead to phobias, depression, mania, and schizophrenia.⁵ Multiple studies have shown that even low lead levels in children born before 1996 lowered their IQ scores by 2.6 points on average per person.⁶ These cognitive changes appeared to be permanent, even after children affected by lead received any necessary treatment to reduce lead levels in their blood.

Crystal Decanters

Lead crystal can consist of as much as 24 percent lead, so using lead crystal decanters isn't recommended.⁷ Since the lead is part of the glass, it comes in direct contact with the contents in the decanter and will leach into the drink over time, especially if it is an acidic beverage like wine and liquor. Within just a few hours, traces of lead can seep into wine from the decanter, and even if it is a small amount, people should be cautious. Some experts claim lead crystal is incredibly safe to drink from, though other people might not want to risk consuming even minuscule amounts of lead.

The FDA has very strict guidelines regarding lead levels in servingware as well as in food and dietary supplements.⁸ In order to adhere to these guidelines, there are precautions people can take to reduce the risk of consuming lead. Lead crystal manufacturers suggest using a solution made with half vinegar and half water to soak in the decanter for 24 hours before use. The acidic vinegar can help leach out the lead that would otherwise enter your wine or liquor. This method won't remove all the lead, so you should still be careful to avoid storing liquid in lead glass for long periods of time.

Lead Crystal Alternatives

If you're looking for an alternative to lead crystal, lead-free crystal glass is a great option. Crystal glass falls somewhere between soda-lime glass and lead crystal in its softness and refraction index, meaning it may not be as sparkly as lead crystal, but it is still considered a more attractive option than soda-lime glass. Crystal glass contains harmless metal oxides such as barium, zinc, or potassium in place of lead. These metals add weight and refraction to the glass while avoiding the dangers associated with lead.

References

1. Glass (Amorphous Solids). Engineering Libre Texts. Accessed September 2022.
2. How to Tell Glass from Crystal: 10 Ways to Pick out the Real Deal. Treasure Pursuits. Accessed September 2022.
3. The Disturbingly Long History of Lead Toxicity in Winemaking. Wine Enthusiast. Accessed September 2022.
4. Lead and Crime: A Review of the Evidence and the Path Forward. Manhattan Institute. Accessed September 2022.
5. Study Finds Link Between Childhood Lead Exposure and Mental Illness. Harvard School of Public Health. Accessed September 2022.
6. Lead from Gasoline Blunted the IQ of About Half the U.S. Population, Study Says. NBC News. Accessed September 2022.
7. Is it Safe to Drink from Lead Crystal? Gurasu. Accessed September 2022.
8. Lead in Food, Foodwares, and Dietary Supplements. FDA. Accessed September 2022.