| Mercury glass returns to store shelves most often in the fall-darkened days of a waning year, just in time to add sparkle to home decor. You'll see mercury glass candlesticks, votives and vases, Christmas trees, gazing balls and other decorative goods on the market now. Our tips will help you understand why mercury glass is traditional and new, and whether it's for you. Mercury glass is coated on the inside with a silvery finish. A lot of silver-painted décor is on the market, but true mercury glass is a hollow glass form with the silver coating protected inside. A concoction including mercury was used for the silvery coating on the first pieces dating back to the early 19th century, but the toxic metallic element was soon abandoned as too expensive. A mixture of silver nitrate and glucose was being used for the coating by the time the first patent on mercury glass was taken out in England in 1849. The formulas of today vary, but the result is the same - silver on the inside of the glass. The mercury glass name stuck. It's also called silvered glass, or Varnish glass after the last name of an early manufacturer. When it first came on the scene, the English called it "poor man's silver." The Germans
... read the whole article |