Giveaway: Beautiful Dartington Crystal Handmade Vases
We’re super excited to be featuring Dartington Crystal again here at Vivre Le Rêve. If you’ve not experienced Dartington glassware before, then you’ve been missing out. It exudes quality and luxury and if I’m honest, by far my favourite thing about it, is the fuss guests make when you host with it. Every single time we have used it, people have commented on it. I love the way it is almost immediately obvious that it is is quality crystal when you pick up the glass, even by those who are not collectors. They know instantly that they are holding quality.
We thought it might be interesting to put together a list of tips to enable you to learn how to tell the difference between glass and crystal.
- You can tell that it is crystal if it creates a rainbow prism effect when the light hits it. If it doesn’t, then you are holding just a plain glass.
- If you tap the glass and you hear a musical ring with a little bit of echo, then it is crystal. Otherwise, it’s most likely a regular glass. Interestingly, the higher the lead content, the longer the tone.
- A crystal glass is naturally heavier than the standard ones due to its lead content.
- Wet your finger and gently swipe it around the rim of a glass. If it makes a good sound, it is most likely crystal.
- The more lead, the clearer the glass. The crystal’s reflective quality is the reason why it is much preferred for wine glasses, jewelry pendants and chandeliers. This is where the term crystal clear comes from.
- Typically, glass usually has a thicker rim than crystal, as it is made thicker for more durability. On the other hand, crystal has the capability of being spun thin while maintaining its strength.
So what could be better than crystal glassware for the home that can be displayed everyday?
One of our favourite Dartington pieces is the Large Heather Cushion Vase which is made in Europe. It has a soft optic effect in a hand made heather coloured glass. Designed by Hilary Green it features an indented base that can be used to help retain or splay out stems when using with flowers.
Our next favourite is the Florabundance Anemone Vase handmade at their factory in Devon. The low, round bowl and flared neck of this crystal vase is perfect for a vibrant display of anemones. What better way to display these colourful and distinctive little flowers?
Dartington are very kindly offering our readers the chance to win a Large Heather Cushion Vase Heather and a Florabundance Anemone Vase. Just enter via the rafflecopters below, you can enter one or both, it’s entirely up to you, good luck!
