The Beauty & History of Irish Crystal

“Irish Crystal as we now know it only became possible after the discovery of Lead Glass in the late 1600’s, created by adding lead oxide to the silica mixture used to make glass.This resulted in a type of glass with great clarity and strength which could be blown, worked into shapes and have facets cut on its surface, all things that were impossible with earlier glass.” http://www.dochara.com/info/things-to-buy/the-story-of-irish-crystal/