Glass Stones

These stones may be called: Bohemian Glass or Bohemia Crystal, (glass and crystal have the same meaning in the Czech language) or Czech Glass. See below for the history of Bohemian stones. These stones are lead free.

Cushion Octagon 18/13mm Stone	Cushion Octagon 25/18mm Stone	Oval 18/13mm Stone
Oval 25/18mm Stone	Oval 30/22mm Stone	Pear 18/13mm Stone
Round 11mm Stone	Round 25mm Stone

The history of glass-making in Bohemia, currently the Czech Republic can be traced back to the 13th century. Bohemian glassworkers discovered potash combined with chalk created a clear colorless glass that could be cut by a wheel. It was at this time that the term Bohemian Crystal emerged for the first time in history to distinguish its qualities from other glass coming from other places. Glassmakers were mostly cottage crafters making products for larger centralized factories.

At the turn of the 18th century, glass-cutting and creating successful imitations of genuine precious stones such as diamond, ruby, topaz, sapphire and amethyst was developed. Glass was originally cut by hand, a physically demanding task; however the introduction of more accurate electric machines gradually replaced this technique. With age old glass making traditions and new technologies the northern Bohemian region became the cradle of machine cutting and polishing.