What are the different types of glass for perfume bottles ? Soda lime glass Perfume bottles made of soda lime glass consist of sand (silica), soda ash and limestone. This is the most inexpensive type of glass which is clear, durable, but breakable. It is mostly used for perfume bottles and packaging for food. Borosilicate glass This type of glass is made up of sand (silica) and boron trioxide. Borosilicate glass can be very thin which mades it ideal for test tubes and small perfume bottle vials. People often use borosilicate glass for laboratory glass and pyrex cookware. Crystal glass (lead or lead free) We make crystal glass from silica (sand) and lead oxide (or barium or zinc for lead free alternatives). This type of glass has a higher refractive index which means that light can travel and bend more within it. This makes the glass appear more beautiful. Opal Glass Opal glass is soda lime glass with added fluorides or phosphates. It has an opaque or translucent milky white look and cosmetics products often use this type of glass. How do I judge the quality of glass? For soda lime or flint glass bottles there are several ways to judge the quality of a bottle: The colour of the glass should be highly transparent, not green or grey There should be no air bubbles in the glass The surface of the glass should be smooth without bumps or scratches The distribution of the glass on the base of the bottle should be even, not like a ski slope! The walls of the glass should have even distribution, not wobbly walls with uneven thickness You should always check that the weight and volume of a glass bottle is consistent across the production moulds used Which perfume bottle shapes are more difficult to manufacture Generally speaking, cylinder and curved edge bottles are easier to manufacture. Also bottles which are not so heavy, as heavy bottomed bottles bring extra manufacturing problems. When there are detailed patterns on bottles we can experience problems with manufacture. Additionally, bottles with very sharp 90 degree edges are also more difficult to manufacture. What is a normal order quantity for a perfume bottle? We base a production run of glass on the total amount of glass available to dispense. Therefore if a bottle is a lower weight and volume, the minimum production run will be higher. For heavy weight bottles the minimum production run can be only ten or twenty thousand pieces. But a thirty millilitre bottle will generally have a minimum order quantity of fifty thousand pieces. How to ensure consistent weight and size of perfume bottles When we manufacture perfumes we use multiple production moulds. There may be ten or twenty replica moulds available. This is to speed up production and to avoid wearing out one mould too quickly. Each mould will have a number on them which will appear on the base of the glass. Because of this, you can see which mould the manufacturer produced the glass bottle from. It is important to inspect bottles from all of the moulds – to gather samples from all numbers of mould. If you do this, then you can check the weight and dimensions of the production and calculate all variations. Small variations can affect the way parts such as spray pumps and caps fit on the bottle. Some moulds may get worn out and need polishing or replacement. You need to know which number mould is the problem. Why is the production of glass so long? Glass production is not an easy process. A typical factory will manufacture many different weights of glass and must schedule the production according to weight. Sometimes you may be unlucky, as the weight that you need for your bottle is not so common. If this is the case, it can take time to get the glass weight you need again. What is better – Europe, Indian or Chinese glass? Europe undoubtedly has the most advanced technology for perfume glass and can achieve glass with smooth surface finish and even distribution of glass on the base. Piramal glass in India can also achieve a high quality glass, but at a lower price than Europe. However, they are more limited on special shapes and textures and are not able to make the same complexity of design as Europe. China factories have a wide range of quality, some can achieve close to the same level as Europe. There is an added advantage in China that some suppliers may also polish bottles by hand. This gives a crystal glass appearance to the glass which is very appealing. This would be prohibitively expensive to do in Europe. What are the pros and cons of buying perfume bottles from different locations?. Indian glass from Piramal is good quality and a good price Piramal cannot make such complex designs as Europer or some China factories The lead-time is long from Piramal nowadays, particularly since they were taken over by the Blackstone Group China glass can be high quality and clarity from some suppliers The price is generally good compared to Europe glass Mould fees are much lower than in Europe Hand polishing and engraving is available at a lower price Technical expertise is higher in Europe The cost per item is much higher The cost of each new mould is high Minimum production runs are higher also Perfume bottle decoration options There are many ways to decorate a perfume bottle: Lacquer – lacquer can be matte, shiny, transparent or opaque, pearl or metallic Cover with fabric or other material. Brands such as John Varvatos have decorated bottles beautifully with this method Screen printing – this can be a very effective way to decorate, but it it works better for bigger elements which do not need fine lines or multiple colours Hot foil can be applied to a bottle to give a luxurious metallic decoration. Decal decoration – this is a complex design which factories apply […]
Perfume bottles – Frequently Asked Questions
