From cheap to chic: Mercury glass adds hip element

Jessie Milligan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Published December 2, 2006 at midnight

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Its silvery shimmer is reminiscent of Grandma's candlesticks and Christmas decorations. Its style statement also is very right-now.

Mercury glass returns to store shelves most often in the fall-darkened days of a waning year, just in time to add sparkle to home decor.

You'll see mercury glass candlesticks, votives and vases, Christmas trees, gazing balls and other decorative goods on the market now.

Our tips will help you understand why mercury glass is traditional and new, and whether it's for you.

OK, it's hip, but what is mercury glass? Mercury glass is coated on the inside with a silvery finish. A lot of silver-painted décor is on the market, but true mercury glass is a hollow glass form with the silver coating protected inside.

Why's it called mercury glass? A concoction including mercury was used for the silvery coating on the first pieces dating back to the early 19th century, but the toxic metallic element was soon abandoned as too expensive. A mixture of silver nitrate and glucose was being used for the coating by the time the first patent on mercury glass was taken out in England in 1849. The formulas of today vary, but the result is the same - silver on the inside of the glass.

The mercury glass name stuck. It's also called silvered glass, or Varnish glass after the last name of an early manufacturer.

When it first came on the scene, the English called it "poor man's silver." The Germans called it "farmer's silver."

What makes it popular? "It's being used today for the same reason it was used in the past," says Debbie Hughes, who sells china and Victorian-era glass at an antique store in Fort Worth, Texas. "It was a very pretty way to spark up the common person's home without spending the money on silver."

Mercury glass has been, and still is, less costly than silver.

It's also less labor-intensive. It doesn't tarnish.

Why is it associated with Christmas? Mercury glass returned in the form of Christmas ornaments in the early 1900s, and again became popular for Christmas ornaments around 1950.

Ornament designer Christopher Radko introduced a line of painted retro tree ornaments in 1986. Much of Radko's line is made of mercury glass that is then painted.

To see his work, check out www.christopherradko.com.

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