Although not as plentiful in the salerooms as other classes of antiques and with few specialist auctions, glass has a unique appeal and offers surprising scope at modest prices.

Glass has magical quality born of its transition during manufacture from sand and other minerals to vessels of transparent delicacy. Barring breakage, scouring pads or dishwashers, it is wonderfully resistant to age, neither warping like furniture nor tarnishing like metal. It can look much the same after 200 years as it did when it was new, its shape and style reflecting the customs or habits of its time — the i8th-century cordial glass, for instance, was designed specifically for after-tea tippling, and the ale glass for small amounts of potent brew.

Antique Collection

Considering its fragility, an extraordinary amount of beautiful glass survives from the 18th century and even earlier. There is an enticing choice for collectors of every financial level, from exquisite early and mid-Georgian pieces to Victorian jelly glasses, knife rests or lampworked figures that can often be picked up for just a few pounds. Even ancient glass can be surprisingly affordable. The discovery of blowing techniques in the Middle East some 2000 years ago prompted the Romans to make glass in vast quantities. Much was preserved in burial mounds, and Roman scent bottles can still be bought for £150-£200.

You are unlikely to see dramatic short-term rises in the value of glass (other than in certain rarified areas). But if paying £300-£700 for a late r9th-century, silver-mounted engraved claret jug seems excessive, bear in mind that a modern reproduction without the silver would take four days to decorate, and would cost about £1000. As glass gets broken, there is a more flexible attitude to the value of what remains. Few complete sets of 18th-century drinking glasses survive, and most collectors are happy to buy singles — there is no huge differential between the value of one and its cost as part of a set. Sets or singles of good-quality Victorian wine glasses (often only £10-£20 each) are particularly worth looking out for names such as Daum, Gallé and Lalique can be hugely Glass of the early l0th century can also be a good investment, although pieces produced by the big French expensive. Look instead for between-the-wars British art glass, ranges with a period character from big companies such as Stuart Crystal, or the pressed glass mass-produced by Bagleys. If you are buying today’s art glass for tomorrow’s gain, go for special, one-off pieces by individual craftsmen; they may well be pricey to begin with, but they are much more likely to appreciate in value in the long term.

Glass objects are mainly dated by their shape, form and colour, as they are far less often marked or signed than, say, ceramics. Much glassware made between the late 19th century and the 1930s reproduced earlier styles — most (but not all) in response to market demand rather than with any deliberate intention to deceive. Sometimes, these copies become collectable in their own right, but it is important to know the difference. Examine any prospective purchase in good light, looking out for the signs of wear that give a seal of authenticity to genuine old glass.

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