How do i tell if a glass vase is lead?

Question:Two possibilities.
Tap it with a wooden dowel or your knuckle. If lead crystal it should have a strong ringing sound.
Weigh it to the fraction of an ounce, then immerse it in a bucket of water that is filled to the brim and catch the water that over flows (or put it in a bucket with string to pull it out, fill the bucket to the brim, pull the vase out, shaking off the water into the bucket and then carefully pour measured water till you are back up to the brim.) The volume of water will give you the volume of glass in the vase. The weight over the volume will give the density. Regular glass is about 2500 gm/l (or kg/m3) while lead crystal will be over 3000
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/Shay...

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Two possibilities.
Tap it with a wooden dowel or your knuckle. If lead crystal it should have a strong ringing sound.
Weigh it to the fraction of an ounce, then immerse it in a bucket of water that is filled to the brim and catch the water that over flows (or put it in a bucket with string to pull it out, fill the bucket to the brim, pull the vase out, shaking off the water into the bucket and then carefully pour measured water till you are back up to the brim.) The volume of water will give you the volume of glass in the vase. The weight over the volume will give the density. Regular glass is about 2500 gm/l (or kg/m3) while lead crystal will be over 3000
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/Shay...

most fine crystal has some lead you can have it tested