When were glass jars first used?

1500 B.C. In about 1500 BC, the Egyptians produced the first hollow glass containers, which they used for ointments and oils.

When did glass bottles become popular?

Colorless (or clear) glass bottles had limited circulation before the 1870s. The bottles gradually became more prevalent during the last three decades of the 19th century. The emergence of automatic bottle machines in the early 20th century led to clear glass bottles' increased popularity.

Where did glass jars originate?

Glass packaging is made of three natural ingredients: silica sand, soda ash and limestone. The materials are mixed with recycled glass, called “cullet.” Cullet is the main ingredient in O-I's glass bottles and containers.

How can you tell how old a glass jar is?

The bottom of the glass bottle will tell you the most about its age. Prior to the mid 19th Century, pontil marks were the signature of glass bottles. A pontil is a rod made of iron that was used to hold the bottle during the manufacturing process.

What is the oldest canning jar?

In 1858, a 26-year-old Mason patented threaded screw-top jars “such as are intended to be air and water-tight.” The earliest mason jars were made from transparent aqua glass, and are often referred to by collectors as “Crowleytown Jars,” as many believe they were first produced in the New Jersey village of Crowleytown.

The history of glass - timeline and inventions

What did people use before Mason jars?

Before Mason

Among the earliest glass jars used for home canning were wax sealers, named in reference to the sealing wax that was poured into a channel around the lip to secure a tin lid.

How do you date old Mason jars?

If you have a Ball jar, you can date most of them just by looking at the logo. Every few years, the Ball Manufacturing Co changed the logo and if you compare yours to a reliable chart, you know how old it is.

What does the L on the bottom of a glass mean?

David. September 30, 2019 at 9:38 AM. Tony, they are mold numbers. Mold numbers are found on the base of many kinds of glass items, especially bottles, jars, shakers, mugs, bowls, jugs, canisters, candleholders, vases, etc.

Are old Mason jars worth anything?

Nowadays, you can even buy a big flat of Mason jars for pretty cheap at your local craft or household goods store — but the older ones can fetch much higher prices. Typically, the smaller or more common antique jars can go for about $20 apiece, but the more rare versions can sell for as much as $300.

When did soda stop using glass bottles?

In 2012, we saw the last ever returnable glass Coca-Cola bottle pass away into beverage history. Soft drinks and glass bottles used to be great friends in the early days of the industry, as the glass bottles were able to endure the pressure of carbonation.

When did Gatorade stop using glass bottles?

Gatorade switched from glass bottles to plastic in 1998, so these are an insane find on that count alone. But – is the pair worth $18k?

When was pure glass invented?

The history of glass-making dates back to at least 3,600 years ago in Mesopotamia. However, some writers claim that they may have been producing copies of glass objects from Egypt. Other archaeological evidence suggests that the first true glass was made in coastal north Syria, Mesopotamia or Egypt.

What color glass is worth money?

Look for pink, blue and green glassware

Pink, green and blue are the most valuable colors of depression glass. Pink tends to be the most valuable because it is more rare. Yellow and amber colored depression glass is more common and therefore less valuable.

What type of glass is collectible?

Despite its name, white wasn't the only color produced: opaque black, pink, and green were some of the more expensive variants of milk glass. Generally, pieces dating from the mid-19th through the early-20th century are considered the most valuable.

What does the number on the bottom of a Mason jar mean?

Many Ball mason jars have a number printed on the bottom of the jar, but this is a mold number that does not indicate the year of production. Rather, the mold number tells you where the jar was positioned on the glass-making machine that was used to produce it.

What are the most valuable mason jars?

When did canning first start?

British merchant Peter Durand patented the method of storing food in cans made of tin on behalf of French national Philippe de Girard (who invented the method) in 1811.

HOW DID THEY CAN food in the 1800's?

In 1858, John Mason invented a glass container with a screw-on thread molded into its top and a lid with a rubber seal. Wire-clamped jars such as Lightning and Atlas jars were in use from the late 19th century until 1964, and still, turn up in yard sales and thrift shops.

Who invented the glass jar with a lid?

John Landis Mason. The interesting thing about his famous invention is that Mason invented the lid first and the jar came later. He patented his invention in 1858 (US Patent Nr. 22,186) but his patent expired in 1979.

When did Mason jars have glass lids?

Mason's patent was for the machine that cut tin into threads, making it easy to manufacture a jar with a reusable screw top lid. Mason's sealing mechanism — a glass container with a thread-molded top and a zinc lid with a rubber seal ring — was patented Nov. 30, 1858.

Do old Mason jars contain lead?

Vintage blue glass mason jar – the jar had no heavy metals but the vintage lid had 861 ppm lead and 1,537 ppm cadmium. Weck glass canning jars – 142ppm of lead.