O’REILLYS Fine Jewellery, Watches & Silver Auction Timed Online Auction, Starting 25th May 2022 at 1pm

6 Old Irish Glass Old Irish glass is revered for its high quality of craftmanship and unique character and is highly sought after by collectors because of this.While Irish glass is sometimes said to have been made as early as the 14th century it is often thought that this was in fact impor ted glass which was crafted or used by Irish glaziers. However, by the mid-late 16th century the manufacture of Irish glass had begun and would steadily continue from there on. The highest quality glassware from Ireland was produced from about 1785 onwards to 1820. During this period Irish glass makers were surpassing their fellow glass smiths in the UK and on the continent. They’re product was supreme because it was handmade or hand cut. There was no mass production which tends to automatically decrease value. Glass produced in Ireland during this time was flat cut, not like a lot of heavyWaterford crystal we might still see today.They cut into it only very lightly and this produces the lovely prismatic effect we often see. It can be very difficult to identify old Irish glass the majority was not marked before the 20th century. It can be identified by its unique colour, a greyish-blue-black tinge which is present due to its high lead content and by its irregular shapes, often the ring of a glass will appear uneven or wavy and this is a sign that it has been handmade rather than produced by a machine. TIMED ONLINE AUCTION OF FINE JEWELLERY, WATCHES & SILVER • WEDNESDAY, 25th MAY 2022 AT 1PM