Mercury Glass 101

Everyone has seen mercury glass the last several years, because Pottery Barn has been cranking it out like crazy, especially around the holidays.  But vintage mercury glass from the Victorian-era is something that warrants your attention, and that's what I want to focus on today.  It's much more interesting than the stuff that's being made in China, but that's no surprise, is it?

My picker recently scored a box full of of gorgeous antique mercury glass at an auction.  Just look at the array of shapes and sizes!  I feel like I've won the lottery!

 

 

Mercury glass was originally created as a replacement for sterling silver.  In fact, it was sometimes called "poor man's silver".  It could be made cheaply, by blowing double-walled glass and coating the interior walls of the glass with a metallic coating (not actual mercury) to give it the silver appearance.  The opening at the bottom, called a "pontil",  was sealed with wax or a cork to prevent air from attacking the silver coating.

 

 

More often than not, the seal at the bottom will be missing, and the silver will have started to corrode.  Because of this, you shouldn't submerge a piece of mercury glass in water:

 

The most common forms of mercury glass are vases, candle holders, curtain tie-backs, salt dips, gazing balls for the garden, and compotes.  Not all mercury glass is silver.  I've seen examples tinted gold, pink, green, and blue, but silver is the most common.  Many of the silver vases, urns and compotes will have a golden interior.

The decoration on the outside is often quite stunning.  Typically, there is a cold painted decoration or delicate frosted motif, often with natural themes that were popular during Victorian times.

 

 

Besides the painted details, I love the elaborate silhouettes the vases make:

 

 

How can you tell if a mercury glass item is old or new?  If it is single-walled, like the votive holders below, you can be sure it's new.  These are for sale all over eBay, and the chain stores like Pottery Barn:

 

The piece below is double-walled and is also offered on eBay. It's described as "Antiqued Mercury Glass", not "Antique".  It's a fine point, but one that should be noted.  It's pretty darn cute, I have to admit.....

 

One thing I noticed about the piece above is the uniformity of the aging.  The speckles are spread out all over the piece.  The old mercury glass doesn't age in this manner.  The silvering will usually disappear from the base first, then work its way upwards.

Another way to tell if mercury glass is old or new is to look at the shape.  Old glass is hand blown.  New glass is either blown-molded or just molded, and will be very uniformly shaped.  Look how wonky this older glass is:

 

 

One more tip:  I've noticed the new candle holders have a metal insert to hold the candles.  I haven't seen an old example with a metal insert, so I would be suspicious of any "old" candle holder with that feature.

And now for pricing.  A couple years ago, a price guide was published and mercury glass values shot up.  It was selling like hotcakes, and it's been really hard for me to keep in stock at the antique malls.  I usually price a 10" vase around $100, a 5" vase about $50, and so on.  A rare color, like pink, would be more expensive.  Many of the vases and candle holders were created in pairs, so if you have an actual matching pair that's something special.  Prices on the East and West coast would most likely be more.  Michigan is where you get the bargains, folks!

 

I hope you can add some authentic 130-year old mercury glass to your collection some day if you haven't already.  It's a true treasure with an interesting history that will only increase in value over time.

Mitzi

Comments

[sue]

Oh, I am lusting after your finds. How lovely. I found a tiny vase and went to wash it, not knowing about the opening at the bottom. Water washed some of the silver away, but I realized it and luckily, hadn't thrown it into the sink full of water. Thanks for the information. I love the information you share and the pretties you show.

[laurie magpie ethel]

totally awesome score! Lots of great info that I did not know as well...love learning in blogland!

[Mitzi Curi]

Hi Laurie!

Thanks for visiting today. Im glad you learned a little something. I always learn from the numerous collections of unusual bits and bobs you share on your blog!

Mitzi

[Mitzi Curi]

Hi Sue!

Im glad you took the time to comment today, because I think I should mention in my blog post that mercury glass shouldnt be submerged in water. Thanks for the reminder! And thanks for the compliment about my blog. I really enjoy writing it, and have met so many nice people that I never would have met otherwise. Its been a great experience!

Mitzi

[Sea Witch]

Great post and photos. I love posts that inform about antiques. Mercury glass is so pretty and I love to display my few pieces when I am decorating for christmas. Sea Witch

[Mitzi Curi]

Thanks so much for stopping by! You are one of my loyal readers, and I appreciate your comments so very much. I think mercury glass looks great at Christmas too.

Have a wonderful week!

Mitzi

[Loreen]

I bought a pair of candle sticks at a yard sale last year for $6 but was on a website that advertised them for $110, how do I know if they are "authentic"? The bottoms do not have an opening but they do have a silver top that holds the candle itself. Not sure if the "silvering" was poured in through the top or not. You can see cracks in the silvering in the inside and they are double walled. I love them regardless but was just wondering if they could be the real deal.

[Mitzi Curi]

Hi Loreen,

If they dont have a pontil on the bottom (the little belly button opening), then they arent authentic Victorian-era hand blown mercury glass. The reproductions are so well done, I think they look great. So enjoy them and consider this: If your cat knocks one over, you wont be too upset!

Mitzi