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Page 20 The Antique Shoppe December, 2019
MERCURY GLASS CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

By Larry LeMasters

LeMasters’ Antique News Service
Americans love Christmas, which is why so many of them collect Christmas Silvered mercury glass is considered one of the
related items, especially tree ornaments, and it seems like each new generation earliest forms of “art glass” ever manufactured.
eventually finds its way to collecting mercury glass, also known as silvered Art glass is glass objects that were created for
glass, tree ornaments. display only for their inherent artistic value,
Originally, manufacturers of German-made, hand blown glass ornaments rather than for utilitarian usage.
attempted to use real mercury inside of the ornaments to give them their Mercury glass has been used
shimmering, shiny appearance, but this manufacturing process was very short to manufacture many inexpensive
lived due to the exorbitant expense of mercury and the terrifying “Mad Hatter” silver-substitute glass objects, such
toxicity of the naturally occurring element. Still, the name “mercury” stuck, as doorknobs, goblets, tumblers,
and this type of ornament has been called “mercury glass” ever since. candlesticks, and, even, spittoons.
Mercury glass or silvered glass, however, is not Critics of mercury glass objects rejected
made of mercury or silver. For almost all mercury it because it “looked too much like a
glass, the mercury solution used contained silver mirror and too little like silver.” But owners
nitrate and grape sugar in solution. Mercury glass of mercury glass items liked its mirror
is a hand or mold blown, double-walled finish, stating, “At worst, mirror attracts
glass shaped ornament that is coated glances, but genuine silver attracts thieves.”
on the inside with a silvering solution. Today, the opposite might be true with
The silvering solution is inserted Christmas ornaments since mercury Vintage, painted “clown face” German
into the ornament through the glass Christmas ornaments are some of mercury Christmas tree ornament that was
top, by removing the wire the most expensive ornaments a collector offered on eBay for $350.
stem holder, or through can purchase.
a small hole that is later The exact date for the manufacturing of mercury glass Christmas ornaments
sealed with a plug. is unknown. Mercury glass, known as “poor man’s silver” in England,
Sealing methods production began around 1840 and lasted until the outbreak of World War II;
Above: Mercury glass
Christmas ornament included metal discs however, imports from Germany and Austria ended in the late 1930s, so
with painted blue birds on side. covered with a round American manufacturers, such as ShinyBrite, began manufacturing their own
This ornament is valued at $30. glass or a cork inserted mercury glass ornaments. For the most part, the production of mercury glass
Right: Antique mercury glass, into the unpolished pontil Christmas ornaments ended by 1950.
hand blown Christmas scar on the ornament. Continued on Page 23
ornament valued at $36.

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