Buying crystal gifts for any occasion ? be it birthday gifts, anniversary gifts, housewarming gifts or business gifts ? requires some thought and effort on the part of the giver. Even if you are a lavish spender, gifting is an art that requires more than just money. You must be willing to put in some amount of your time in selecting the right gift for the right person.

Here are some great tips on buying crystal gifts to ensure that you always pick appropriate and well-appreciated gifts.

Always pick a well-known brand when buying crystal gifts. Glass can often be mistaken for crystal. You don't want to be in an embarrassing situation with the recipient discovering that the 'gorgeous crystal bowl' you gave is actually a 'cheap glass imitation bowl'!

Crystal gifts can be practical and/or decorative. Depending on the personality of the recipient you need to decide what kind of gift to buy.

Crystal gifts need to be selected keeping in mind the occasion.

Crystal gifts often break when being handled regularly. Since the point of giving the gift is that the recipient should use it and enjoy it, it is likely that there may be some breakage as well. Always choose a brand that easily replaces broken pieces of stemware and glassware so that the recipient is not afraid to use the crystal gifts.

Thus, buying the right crystal gifts is about knowing the recipient as well as knowing crystal. Knowing the recipient is your job.

Also, when you look to buy crystal gifts there are certain things to keep in mind.

Crystal is commonly known as lead glass or lead crystal. The addition of lead oxide to regular potash glass is what makes crystal stronger and less likely to have bubbles.

The sparkle and brilliance of crystal is dependent on the lead content in the crystal. The greater the lead content the more brilliant the crystal. Crystal made in the early 20th century used almost 25-28% lead and sparkled lavishly. Today, the lead content in crystal has been reduced to just about 10-12% and hence the reduced brilliance.

Another thing to beware of is that the vendor is not passing off glass as crystal. Telling crystal from glass is not very difficult. Firstly, crystal is much heavier than glass due to the lead content. Secondly, crystal makes a distinctive pinging sound when you flick your fingernail against it.

You can tell early crystal from newer reproductions by checking the crystal against a white background. The color of old crystal will be slightly grayish due to naturally existing impurities.

You can tell machine made crystal glass from handmade crystal glass by the slight bump that will always occur at the base of the crystal glassware. The bump occurs when the glass is removed from the blower's rod. Also, handmade items are almost always imperfect and hence more desired.

Whatever your preference in terms of design and color, it is certain that crystal gifts make the best gifts. You are ensured that the recipient will be ecstatic to receive the gift and that it will be cherished forever.