Cranberry Glass, whether it is Antique or New is very much sought after by collectors.  No one is quite sure exactly where cranberry glass exactly has it origins. Some historians believe it was first crafted in the late Roman Empire.  It was later lost & rediscovered in the 17th Century by Johann Knuckel in Bohemia or by Florentine glassmaker Antonio Neri in Italy. The most famous period of cranberry glass production was in 19th Century England during the Victorian Era.

Legend has it that cranberry glass was first discovered when a noble tossed a gold coin into a molten glass mixture.  And this is almost certainly untrue, as the gold must be dissolved in "aqua regia" - a mixture of hydorchloric & nitric acids - before being added to the molten glass.

Shades of cranberry glass range from pale to deep, rich cranberry. Cranberry Flash is usually less costly than true cranberry glass & range from pale pink-red to red violet.

Cranberry glass creations were & still are most popular as a table display, most often holding sweetmeats (confectionary delights) or flowers.  Another frequent & popular use for cranberry glass is decanters, wine glasses & fingerbowls.

Cranberry glass was also quite well-known for use in Mary Gregory glass.  (Mary Gregory was known for painting Victorian Era children .) This glass has a white enamel fired onto the glass in designs, usually of the romatic variety & show up in cranberry glass plates, tumblers, glasses, goblets, etc.

Some of the most rare & expenisve items range from lamps, lighting fixtures & baskets.

Cranberry glass with added opalescent accents featuring daisy patterns, coin dots & numerous other styles & designs attracts even more collectors to cranberry glassware.

The finest glass ash, chips or unpolished markings should be visible, including the pontil (a rough chipped spot) on the bottom of the glass that appears broken & chipped when unpolished.

Bubbles & striations indicate mouth blown pieces but shouldn't be overly large or interfere with the design of the glassware. Hand molded pieces should be relatively smooth showing a minimum of marks or mold lines.  The points where one piece of glass attaches to another (pitcher or basket handles) need to be smoothly polished & clean.

When you notice an exceptionally bright, sparkling piece & a touch of gold behind all that glimmer,  you will also find painstaking craftmanship.