Happy To Design

The Beauty of Mercury Glass....
My Newest Treasure Find!!!

Hello my friends!

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Last week while shopping at Hobby Lobby and I came upon the prettiest Mercury glass goblets! Of course, you know me...I very rarely buy anything at full price...these little beauties were marked down to just $4 each (they were originally marked $20 ea.) What a deal!!!
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I did a little research on Mercury glass, I was curious about it's origin and how it was made. According to Wikipedia, Mercury glass is the common term for silvered glass, which describes glass that was blown double walled, then silvered between the layers with a liquid silvering solution, and sealed. Although mercury was originally used to provide the reflective coating for mirrors, elemental mercury was never used to create tableware. Silvered glass was free-blown, then silvered with a solution containing silver nitrate and grape sugar in solution, heated, then closed. Hmmm...very interesting! I would love to see how they do this!!!

"Mercury" silvered glass was produced originally from around 1840 until at least 1930 in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic, Germany, and was also manufactured in England from 1849-55. Companies in the United States, including the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co., New England Glass Co. and the Boston Silver Glass Company, made silvered glass from about 1852-80. Vases, goblets and all form of tableware were decorated with a variety of techniques including painting, enameling, etching, and engraving. Silvered "mercury" glass is considered one of the first true "art glass" types, that is, glass that was made for display and for its inherent artistic value, rather than for utilitarian use.

Now looking at these goblets, I wonder which process of "silvering" that they used? I'm not sure if they were etched, enameled, or painted...I'm pretty sure that they aren't engraved! Nevertheless, I just love the beauty of "silvered glass"!!!

These newest little "treasure finds" found a home on my dining room buffet. I already had four silver candleholders displayed there and thought that the pretty mercury glass goblets would look nice added to the vignette! Voila!!! Here is my dining room buffet.
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My little country french girl also resides here. I found her at Hobby Lobby last year on sale for only $6 (if I remember correctly...old age, hehe!). She was sitting on the shelf...all by herself...marked down 90% in the garden dept. at the end of the season! I had been shopping for a french bust and when I found this little beauty...and for only $6...I let out a hoop and holler and did the happy dance...hehe!!!

I made the floral arrangement sitting behind french girl. It's a little hard to see but I found this decorative pedestal bowl with fleur de lis on it...also on the 90% off rack at Hobby Lobby...for only $4!

My silver teapot, sugar, and creamer...hmmm, they're needing another polish! Honestly, I like them a bit on the tarnished side!

See my buffet lamps? I got them from my dear friend Vanna from "Delusions of Grandeur". Thank you, Vanna...I just adore my lamps!!!

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Close-up of the mercury glass goblets!

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Well there you have it...an up-close and personal look at my newest "treasure find"! I'm really lovin' these pretty mercury glass goblets...hmmm, I feel the beginnings of a collection...wink!

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Thank you for stopping by today...please leave me a comment and let me know that you were here! I love hearing from you!!!

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Have a terrific Thursday, my friends!

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Love ya'll,

Chari