Thank you to Gil Yuda for shared photos and historical information from the Israel Antiquities Authority.  

In ancient times, glass was a rare and precious material reserved for the wealthy.  This 2000 year old glass was produced during the Roman Empire and it represents a milestone for humanity - the beginning of glassblowing. 

While ruling the Middle East, the Romans discovered premium quality sand on Israel’s northern shores.  Large clay furnaces were built to melt the local sand with imported Egyptian natron, reaching a temperature of 1100 degrees Celsius.  Once the liquid had cooled, the clay furnace was shattered to harvest the raw glass.  The brilliantly colored chunks were then shipped throughout the Roman Empire to workshops where they were re-melted to create vessels, windowpanes and precious artifacts.   

Today, this historic and beautiful glass is an excellent material for faceters, cabbers, carvers and collectors alike.  Each piece is entirely unique.  With Ancient Roman Glass, the inclusions are quite special because they contain the story of an era.  Inclusions could include air bubbles that have been trapped for 2000 years or small specks of charcoal from the original kiln fires.  Sourced from Northern Israel, within the Carmel Mountain region, we are thrilled to offer this material in our Collectors Rough section.  

To learn more, check out:

Ancient Glass Kilns Clear View Into Industry’s Even Older History

Israeli Archaeologists Uncover Roman Period Glass Factory