Compare crystal to a piece of Low-E glass that’s the similar size – the crystal should be noticeably heavier.Another way to tell if it is glass or the real thing is to check its resonance.There are about five major differences between crystal awards and awards made of lesser quality material. Crystal contains dense metals, so it will be heavier than glass or Lucite.
When comparing crystal awards, make sure the award is actually crystal and not coated glass or synthetic material, such as Lucite. It is actually easy to tell if you have a glass or crystal award.When looking to recognize employee contributions or an outstanding achievement on the soccer field, crystal awards can certainly add an extra touch of class to ceremony.
This is due to the fact the tempered glass is much easier to work with, and is less expensive, so breakage and defects are more acceptable in the manufacturing process. Crystal materials are much more precious.Carefully examine the edges and angles of a crystal plaque. A crystal will have smooth, rounded edges and cuts, while a glass piece will have sharp-angled edges and corners.
Laminated glass might also have a prism effect, but clear glass will have a slightly green or yellow tint when the light passes through.Tap a piece of crystal and it will emit a high pitched tone while a glass or Lucite plaque will just sound like a low pitched kludge. There should be a slight timbre in the tone of the crystal piece.Crystal and glass also refract light differently. Hold a crystal up to the light and it should look fairly clear, but it should also show a rainbow prism when held at certain angles to the light.
