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Midnight Palace Statement Necklace
Midnight Palace Collar Necklace
Fair Isle Collar Necklace
Midnight Palace Drop Earrings
Midnight Palace Convertible Earrings
Fair Isle Convertible Statement Earrings
What is Mercury Glass?
Mercury glass, also known as silvered glass, contains neither mercury nor silver. It's actually clear glass, mold-blown into double-walled shapes and coated on the inside with a silvering formula, which is inserted though a small hole that is then sealed with a plug. A few manufacturers did, for a time, try to line their glass with a mercury solution; this practice was discontinued due to expense and toxicity, but it helps explain the origin of the misnomer.
First discovered in early-19th-century Germany, mercury glasswas used as an inexpensive and tarnish-free substitute for silver in such objects as candlesticks and doorknobs. It then gained favor in France and England, where it was made into useful household wares like vases and goblets, and in America, where it was turned into glass vases, goblets, tankards, sugar basins, tumblers, and even spittoons. Some critics condemned it for "looking too much like mirror and too little like silver," which is precisely what people liked about it. At worst, mirror attracts a few vain glances, while genuine silver attracts thieves. Appreciation for the inexpensive baubles rose, until the advent of the lightbulb: in "modern" light, no burglar would mistakeglass for silver.
Mercury Glass Revival
After briefly falling out of favor, mercury glass reappeared around 1900 in the form of pretty Christmas ornaments and gazing balls, as well as blown fruits and flowers. Today, most serious collectors concentrate on antique forms, like curtain pins, salt cellars, or pedestal-footed silvered vases. Many such vases were decorated by assembly lines of little girls, each of whom would paint her own specialty -- such as swans, leaves, or daisies.
Rose bowls, made primarily in the 20th century from colored mercury glass, are also sought after by collectors. Silvered-glass objects with acid-etched decoration, often of wheat or flowers, turn up frequently; cut silvered glass is much rarer. (You can tell the difference by rubbing a finger over the decoration. Cutglass has definite edges, while acid-etched glass will feel slightly rough.
DID YOU KNOW?
Known as "poor man's silver" in England, mercury glassprovided an inexpensive alternative to the silver that furnished the houses and churches of the wealthy.
*NEW* Lipstick!
colors:
Chloe: bold berry
Isabel: dusty rose
Chloe-bel: classic red
Chloe + Isabel is now a lifestyle brand as well. *NEW*
Wise Words Glass Tray
In Fine Feather Glass Tray
Flock Together Glass Tray
Baubles Bangles and Beads Chloe and Isabel by Marie
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