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Etiquette Boss: Table etiquette

April 2, 2014 Phillipa Morrish

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Crystal Wine Glasses: Lead crystal is beautiful in any form. However, there are a few precautions you should take before setting your table with lead crystal wine glasses.

First, how do you know you have lead crystal if you have long lost the box? A quick test is to flick the forefinger against the thumb.

The finger nail of the forefinger impacting the glass will produce a ring or a thud. If you hear a thud it is probably glass or has very little lead. However, if you hear a ring that reminds you of a church bell, the crystal is top quality. The longer the echo after the initial contact with the glass, the more lead it contains, and the more clear and beautiful its appearance.

The downside of all this beauty is the lead that can seep into acidic beverages such as wine or juice. The amount of seepage is usually insignificant, as wine is hardly left in the glass for extended periods. Just remember that people have used their crystal glasses for hundreds of years without worry.

However, to enjoy your glass or decanter without a second thought to mar your pleasure, soak it in a solution of half vinegar and half water. The acid from the vinegar will draw out the surface lead from the glass, thus leaving much less to seep into your wine.

All new crystal glasses should be filled with this solution and left for 24 hours before storing or using. The vinegar also helps to keep the glass from absorbing any soapy film to mar its clarity. Enjoy your crystal.

BEAUTY TIPS: Younger Eyes

As we grow older, our upper and lower eye lids tend to sag. To help to raise your upper brows, place cream or oil on your face as a moisturizer.

Place your index fingers at the outer corners of your eyes, at the end of the brow line. Press and raise your eyebrows as high as possible. Keep your eyebrows raised and slowly lower your lids for a count of eight. Do not squint. Repeat five times.

Additional exercises can be found in MJ Saffons Young Eyes booklet.

Phillipa Morrish is the president of Etiquette Training International.