| Pressed glass, Depression glass and crystal - this | | | | It was done by diamond point engraving |
| month we'll review the basics of these different | | | | (scratching the design onto the surface of the |
| types of glass and some tips on telling the | | | | glass using a diamond nib), wheel engraving |
| difference. | | | | (scratching the design on the surface of the glass |
| History | | | | using small copper wheels rotating against the |
| Glass was first recorded being made in ancient | | | | surface) stipple engraving (scratching the design |
| Rome, Egypt and Syria. It was made by heating | | | | onto the surface of the glass using fine diamond |
| and fusing sand, potash or soda with lime. | | | | needle that taps out the design in a series of dots |
| Types of Glass | | | | and lines) or acid etching (scratching the design on |
| Soda glass, potash glass and lead glass are the | | | | the surface of glass using a sharp tool then |
| three main types of glass. | | | | subjecting the glass to hydrofluoric acid which |
| Soda glass | | | | etched the design onto the glass). |
| Starting in the 13th century, soda glass was made | | | | How to tell crystal from cut glass |
| in Venice. Glassmakers were able to form molten | | | | Weight is the number one tip-off that something |
| glass into elaborate shapes because it contained | | | | is crystal rather than glass. The lead in crystal |
| burned seaweed, making the glass very malleable. | | | | makes it is heavier than cut glass. The telltale ping |
| Potash glass | | | | when you flick your fingernail against crystal is |
| Potash glass came from northern Europe. Potash | | | | another way to tell crystal from glass. |
| was made from a combination of burned wood | | | | Why is modern-day crystal less brilliant than |
| and bracken making the glass well suited for | | | | antique crystal |
| engraving and cutting. | | | | Crystal made in the early 1900s contains about 25 |
| Lead glass (crystal, lead crystal) | | | | to 28 percent lead. Modern crystal contains only |
| Starting in Europe in the 17th century, lead glass | | | | 10 to 12 percent lead. This reduction in the lead |
| was developed. It was derived from adding lead | | | | content makes modern crystal less brilliant than |
| oxide to potash glass. The words lead glass, lead | | | | antique crystal. |
| crystal and crystal all mean the same thing. | | | | How to tell if it is early glass |
| Crystal is simply a type of glass. It is the addition | | | | Old engraving will look dark and grey against a |
| of lead to mix that makes crystal harder than | | | | white background. New glass engraving will not |
| regular glass. Crystal is less likely to have bubbles, | | | | look grey against a white background. |
| which is helpful when cutting | | | | Spotting reproductions |
| Pressed glass | | | | There are many reproductions circulating because |
| Popularized during the Victoria era, pressed glass | | | | modern glassmakers made imitations of 18th |
| is made from a mould and is less valuable than | | | | century glass. There is nothing wrong with |
| cut glass. You can identify pressed glass from the | | | | reproductions as long as you know that is what |
| mould line that is visible and the less sharply | | | | you are buying. You can spot reproductions three |
| faceted decoration. | | | | ways: |
| Depression glass | | | | Colour |
| Popularized during the Great Depression, | | | | Reproductions may not have the distinctive tint |
| companies such as Hocking Glass, Federal and | | | | caused by natural occurring impurities. Use the |
| MacBeth-Evans mass-produced this form of | | | | white background test; if the engraving looks |
| pressed glassware. It was often given away free | | | | grey against the white, the item is likely to be old. |
| as a gift with purchase. There are many colours | | | | Manufacturing signs |
| and patterns available. | | | | Machine-made glass will not have the rough bump |
| Decoration on glass | | | | under the stem that hand-blown glass will have. |
| There are four types of decorations used to | | | | This bump results from the item being removed |
| adorn glass: cutting, enamelling, gilding and | | | | from the glassblower's rod. Also, hand-blown glass |
| engraving. | | | | might have imperfections such as uneven |
| Cutting | | | | thickness, ripples or striations that machine-made |
| Facets cut into glass reflect light and create | | | | glass does not have. |
| sparkle. One tip to help date a piece of glass is to | | | | Proportions |
| look for shallow surface cuts which were used in | | | | Styles and proportions have varied over the |
| the earliest days of glass cutting. | | | | years. One thing to look for is that the foot on |
| Enamelling | | | | antique glass is often as wide as the bowl. |
| In the 15th century, the Venetians popularized the | | | | Value |
| enamelling of glass that is a process of painting on | | | | Glass and crystal are one collectible where the |
| glass. | | | | secondary market is more affordable than the |
| Gilding | | | | primary market. The reason is supply and |
| It is a technique of adding gold decoration to glass | | | | demand. Plenty of crystal was made over the |
| that was often done by firing the gold onto a | | | | years, plenty of people took good care of it, and, |
| glass surface. | | | | as a result plenty of it is still around. |
| Engraving | | | | |