How healthy is my lead crystal?

First, for clarification purposes, I should say that the term “crystal” when used in any stemware or glass application is a bit of a misnomer, as glass lacks a crystalline structure. The term crystal began with Venetian glass makers using “cristallo” to describe their imitated rock crystal glass, and remains popular today for historical and commercial reasons.

In England, during the 17th century, the production of clear lead glass began. Adding lead oxide to glass made it easier to work with, more attractive by being clearer, and more durable than the older ways of making glass using calcium. By the beginning of the 19th century, lead glass had become the most popular kind of glass…

But, wait, lead’s a poison, right? Is it getting in my wine? The short answer is yes. When acidic beverages are placed in lead glass they dissolve lead into your drink. Studies have shown that that the higher acidity and the longer you let your drink sit in the glass, the more lead is absorbed. If stored in lead glass (perhaps a decanter), studies have shown that wine can accumulate a lot of lead, 20 parts per million, which is 100 times more than the legal amount allowed in beverages in Canada. The problem is when you ingest lead, your body can store it for up to 30 years, so, every time you drink a little bit, it just gets stored in your bones or tissue, and keeps adding up. It’s a good thing there’s another way to have beautiful stemware for your wine!!

Schott Zwiesel is out there with a patented glass that uses titanium rather than lead. There’s no more need to expose ourselves to lead in our stemware! Using titanium has other advantages, as well. In addition to not exposing ourselves to lead, the titanium actually makes for more brilliant glass, and even makes it more durable. They will chip less, they will break less, and they even hold up in the dishwasher as the abrasive detergents used won’t harm the glass.

Check them out: http://www.cooksplus.com/schott-zwiesel-m-32.html