By the first century AD, the technique of glass-blowing had revolutionised the art of glass-making, allowing the quantity of production to be increased, whilst its price be reduced. It also allowed a new flexibility and artistic freedom, with glass now becoming a decorative luxury to rival pottery. It was this novel mass production of the material in imperial Rome that prompted the development of glass jewellery, though its valuable properties today derive in large part from the ageing process. For instance, contaminants manufactured into the glass, combined with the surrounding environment over thousands of years, result in beautiful lustres and speckling, where the glass might formerly have been transparent.
To discover more about Roman glass, please see our relevant blog posts: Ancient Glass and Collecting Guide: Ancient Roman Glass
