Antique glassware.
The range of antique glassware available to collectors offers tremendous variety and can, with sufficient funds, cover many periods and thousands of years. In reality, many collectors try to specialize in one of the three main types of glass, namely, soda glass, potash glass or lead crystal which was developed between 1673-1683 by George Ravenscroft.
Ravenscroft discovered that by adding lead oxide to the glass composition, a far more brilliant, sparkling glass could be produced than had ever been made before.
Other collectors use colour, enamelling, shape, engraving, provenance, acid etching, gilding, manufacturer, historical period and other applied decorations to guide their collections. Many antique glass collectors just buy what they like and a really great collection can include drinking glasses, bottles, decanters, vases, paperweights, candelabra, lustres, bowls and jewellery.
