Chandeliers add a statement and style to any space. It doesn’t matter if you desire to create a focal point with a spectacular crystal chandelier in the dining room or the foyer or the staircase. Crystal chandeliers will undoubtedly cheer up any space or area of the room. The only thing is to find an ideal fixture.
There are varieties of crystals available on Sofary.com. There are the Swarovski, K9, Gemcut, Venetian, Hand-cut, etc. crystals available in different kinds of shapes. You need to determine which cut and type is right?
Crystal is a simple glass composed of silica. To produce crystals from glass certain compounds, get added like lead II oxide potassium oxide or zinc oxide. The compounds are added to make the glass diffract light and sparkle. In this post, let’s get familiar with an overview of K9 glass and as it is an affordable alternative it is popular among homeowners.
What is K9?
K9 is an optical crystal type that uses borosilicate and 10% lead content. It is mass-produced in China and has imperfections and low inclusions perfect for optics, decorative crystal chandeliers, lenses, and prisms. Its physical properties are excellent. Its polish is similar to the lead crystals but weighs 15% less than the fully-leaded crystals.
Application of K9 crystal
- Chandelier manufacturers find K9 crystals an appealing alternative because it offers high RI [refractive index], high clarity, and durability.
- Its low-dispersal properties combined with high RI and great clarity makes it a better option to create cubes and prisms as well as use in laser etchings and optics.
- K9 is also popular in designing high-quality crafts and awards.
- Glass blended with soda lime compound looks cloudy in the light but crystal offers clarity, so is used in making stemware.
- Optical crystal like K9 contains only 10% lead, so is distortion-free and creates a rainbow prism when placed under the light. It is the lead content used that defines the refractive quality. If the lead content is between 36% to 70% then the crystal sparkles brightly in direct sunlight.
- Crystals are cut precisely in a variety of shapes and polished. They are smooth to touch when compared to glass, which is sharp and brittle. To tell the difference between crystal and glass fell the facet. If it is smooth then it is crystal.
- As K9 is mass production, it is an affordable and inexpensive option.
Affordable doesn’t mean K9 crystals are not a good alternative. You will find that K9 offers high clarity, high RI, durability, and is smooth to touch.
When you go K9 chandelier shopping , make sure to measure the room size to choose an appropriate size fixture. Too small will look out of place in a large room and vice versa. Measure the room dimension and add it to get the chandelier diameter in feet. For example, the dimension is 20ft. x 15 ft. You will need to buy a chandelier with a 35” diameter [20 + 15 = 35]. Use top-quality bulbs or the impression will get ruined. A simple guideline is to maintain total wattage between 200W to 400W.