Hobbies And Interests
History
Glass marbles first appeared either in Venice or in Germany, two societies with well-developed glass-blowing industries in the 19th century. The invention of "marble scissors" by a German glassblower in 1846 first made mass production of glass marbles possible. These scissors were essentially a pair of tongs with a cup on one side and a cutting device on the other.
Handmade Glass Marbles
Antique handmade glass marbles are highly sought by collectors, especially those from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. These marbles will have one or more pontil mark, a rough spot at the bottom pole created during the production process.
Types
The most common handmade glass marbles are German swirls, sub-divided by their type of core, such as latticino, solid or ribbon core. Other handmade glass marbles include micas, made of colored glass with silver flakes, and lutz marbles, with swirls of goldstone, a type of glass made with copper crystals.