From bright to deep, Red Sea Glass comes in at Ultra Rare on the Sea Glass Rarity Chart, and is the stuff of legend among Sea Glass fans...

With the glint of fire and flame, or the deeper depths of glowing coals, red sea glass shouts from the shore as a hunter almost dances to meet it once spotted in the sand. Why is this elusive Sea Glass color so prized?

To answer that question, ask another: How much red glass do you see every day – in your home, at work, or at the store? When you think about it, we just don’t make and use a lot of red glass in daily life. Back in the day, it took pricey real gold to make red glass, making it a luxury item for only the wealthy.

When we do discover Red Sea Glass, it is usually a bright true red, or, slightly more common, a deep, rich red. This deep red color was popularized by Anchor Hocking with the introduction of its Royal Ruby Glass in the late 1930s. And, they even made a few red bottles for Schlitz brewing for a special beer line.

We’ve been making red glass for thousands of years, but the ancient process was lost during the dark ages and red glass didn’t emerge again until the 17th Century. Today, the precious gold used to make red glass has been replaced with copper and other less expensive minerals.

Our ultra-rare Red Sea Glass was once part of a valued piece of glassware, tableware or a coveted decorative vessel. Now, it holds the fire with which it was created in its glowing depths.

To explore the Sea Glass Rarity Chart in detail, click here>

For a complete rundown on all things red sea glass, visit our Sea Glass Discovery Center here>

Red Sea Glass: Top 10 Facts at a Glance

1.  Some Red Sea Glass was once part of a ship’s light – often this glass is extra thick and frosty due to its age and original thickness.

2.  Anchor Hocking’s Royal Ruby glass was first made in 1938, and Avon followed the success of this red tableware with their own Cape Cod collection – both are valuable collector’s items today.

3.  Car tail lights were originally made of rare red glass long before the advent of high impact plastics.

4.  The Avon Cape Cod patterned red glass derived its inspiration from the pressed glass produced in the early 1800s on Cape Cod.

5.  Red glass is one of the most expensive glass colors to make.

6.  Cranberry glass (a red glass with a slightly pink cast) was first made by the ancient Romans – although this is a matter of some debate!

7.  More red glass was produced in the Victorian era than at any other time.

8.  Ruby red glass was prized by European royalty throughout the 17th – 20th Centuries.

9.  As rare red glass gained popularity in the early 1700s, red glass vessels were valued as much as rare oriental porcelains.

10.  The legendary ancient Sorcerer’s Stone written about by ancient Greeks was described as a red glass that could transform metals into gold.

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