Have you ever looked at a piece of purple glass and wondered for a moment how this all got started? It is the only glass in the history of the world in which a dramatic and intense change of color can take place.

Lead was used for centuries as a clarifying agent in making glass. In the 1860s

the formulas changed, and lead was removed from the mix. In an attempt to produce a cheap, clear glass, magnesium was added and used in the glass making process. This magnesium content caused a chemical reaction to take place. In time, it was noticed that when the glass was exposed to the (ultraviolet) rays of the sun, the glass would turn purple.

By placing a bottle in the window at your home or on in a sunny spot so the sun can shine on it, the glass will turn purple. If it does not, it was produced after 1914 and does not contain magnesium. With this process, you can now date your bottle collection.

Louisiana Treasures Museum has a collection of purple glass, along with lots of other glass pieces you might like to stop by and view. Give me a call at 225-294-8352 for hours of operation.

Wayne Norwood is a lieutenant with the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Department and owner and operator of the Louisiana Treasures Museum located at 10290 Highway 22, West Pontchatoula