SPECIALIST AGGREGATES
Bringing Natural Stone to Life... Online Since 2000 And Now With Over 700 Products! Order Securely Online or Tel. 01889 580 660
 
Quick Find 
 
Product Key 
Individual Packs Individual Packs
Order and Deliver

See products for pack sizes.
Pallet Deliveries Multi Packs
Order and Deliver

Convieniently packed for ease of movement. See products for pack and pallet sizes.
Bulk Bag Deliveries Bulk Bags
Order and Deliver

Selected products available bulk packed for contractors. See products for specific information.
Rockery Stone Deliveries Rockery Stone Deliveries
Order and Deliver

Caged stone delivery, packing may vary.
Bulk Loads Order For Collection
Order for collection from a warehouse. See products for pack sizes and collection details.
New Products 
Roofing - 6mm Perma Frost White Chippings
Roofing - 6mm Perma Frost White Chippings
15kg
£31.20
Specialist Aggregates Group
Specialist Aggregates Ltd Marine Arts
Red Glass - Birmingham's Lost Gold
Wednesday 07 March, 2012
News Brief

Birmingham's Lost Gold

Full Story:

Red Glass – Birmingham’s lost gold

It is little known that the red colouration in ruby, garnet and cranberry glass is the result of gold “pigment”

We do not profess to understand the exact chemistry or mechanics of manufacturing red glass, suffice to say the starting point is getting the noble metal into solution – a feat unto itself using a mix of both concentrated Hydrochloric and Nitric Acids – known to the ancients as Aqua Regia.

The extraordinary accomplishment for which a patent was awarded in 1755 to Meyer Oppenheim was to introduce compounds containing dissolved gold into hot molten glass in such a way that the gold was “struck” back out of solution forming minute particles in a colloidal suspension within the glass. The mechanism was not understood at the time but we now know that gold particles interact with light to produce the distinctive ruby red glass colour.

Probably due to the availability of gold “saw dust” arising from established button and trinket manufacturers and with the potential for reciprocal trade of his glass products in the jewelry quarter Oppenheim set up the first, and presumably quite small specialist glass factory in the Snow Hill area of Birmingham in 1757.

However, the ultimate loss to Birmingham was threefold: Meyer Oppenheim lost his business in 1777 and was detained in a debtors prison. The site of the glass works were lost under the foundations of Snow Hill railway station in the mid 19th century, and in spite of gold being one of the worlds most recycled metals with an estimated 84% of all gold that has ever been mined still being in existence, the amazing nano-particles of gold trapped in red glass are “lost” forever.

Extra Information:

For more information, please visit this related link:  Buy Red Glass Chippings.



Viewed:3700
Red Glass - Birmingham's Lost Gold
Red Glass - Birmingham's Lost Gold
Red Glass - Birmingham's Lost Gold
BackContinue

Specialist Aggregates Ltd Shopping BasketBasket 
0 items