I have a chemistry degree, and work in the field of Hazardous materials management, and in my opinion, the lead in the crystal is of no concern health-wise. I would doubt that eating off the crystal itself would give a person a lead exposure. The solder on the other hand may be a bit more tricky. I am not sure that even the lead free varieties are truly free of heavy metals, so I guess I probably wouldn't eat off the solder. I would also mention that virtually every electronics circuit board ever sold contains lead, silver, and trace mercury presence. A funny anecdote (well, to me anyway), it is my understanding that elemental lead in brick form will pass a TCLP (total concentration leachate procedure, the standard used by the EPA to determine whether the concentration of lead in solid material is sufficient to call the material hazardous). This must be how people get away with throwing their old cathode tube TV's and monitors in municipal dumps.
(Message edited by hydrargyrum on March 11, 2009)
