Collecting beautiful glass

Collecting antiques is a very rewarding and often lucrative hobby. Being able to own a piece of furniture, a painting or a piece of jewellery that was made hundreds or thousands of years ago helps us appreciate the craftsmanship of the time and also the quality of the wood, metal or gemstones.

Being a collector of antique glass is no different, and the fact that these items are so delicate and unique makes them all the more interesting and valuable. As you can appreciate, glass is easily broken or damaged and keeping something perfect for decades is a feat in itself, let alone for longer periods.

The process of making glass was founded in the east around 3500 years ago and started with the basic heating and melting of sand. Lime is added to the sand to help it melt at lower temperatures and helps the makers work with it more easily. The lime component also acts as a stabiliser, as natural glass will be very brittle on it's own. Other minerals were added to the glass to make the colors, effects and finishes that make these pieces so beautiful. Elements like magnesium, copper or cobalt were mixed with the base materials to generate vibrant colors and patterns.

Over the years, the techniques used to make glass has changed from a simple process of making containers or shapes with molten glass, sometimes decorated on the surface, to more complicated pieces. The Romans used glass cups and goblets for drinking and the Egyptians were also using glass containers around the middle of the 14th century. England began to use glass to decorate their churches, using stained glass windows. Taught by the Venetians, the glass makers of europe began to produce some very intricate pieces and processes such as engraving, sand blasting and cutting were used to decorate glass objects of all types. Images, heraldry, names and designs all began to appear on the surface of the glass, as people began to put value on finer made pieces.

If you are interested in collecting antique glass, there are a few points that you might need to consider when buying a piece at auction or sale. Firstly, you will need to consider the origin of the item. Some glass pieces were copied, reproduced and mass produced all over the world after their style became popular. Knowing if the piece is a repro item will ensure that you are not paying over the odds.

Something that all collectors of antiques worry about is the condition of the piece. Damaged items still hold their value, but old or vintage glass, being so delicate, becomes quickly worthless when broken. Cracks and chips are common in older pieces, mainly due to it's age and history, but newer pieces should be in perfect condition if possible.

Older glass is also more inferior than newer versions. It was not until lead oxide was added to the process that glass became very bright and translucent. Cloudy glass is a sign of age and also of the piece being genuine. You might also be able to see imperfections in the glass where the process was a little crude and not as refined as today. Bubbles, mis-shaped edges and imperfect circles or rims are a good indication of this.