Things You'll Need
Antique glassware, manufactured from 1885 to 1915
UV lamp
UV filtering goggles
American glass manufactured between 1860 and 1915 was made with manganese, which imbued the glass with an interesting trait; the glass turned purple when submitted to prolonged exposure to UV rays. Using sunlight to turn antique glass purple can be time-consuming, but you can speed the process up by using special UV lamps. While making purple glass may seem like a good idea, doing so can severely reduce the value of antique glassware or bottles.
Step 1
Visit an antiques store and buy glassware or bottles that were manufactured between 1885 and 1915. Choose carefully; some pieces can be quite expensive, and this process will substantially diminish their value because it is irreversible. Select common, inexpensive pieces. Of course, if you'd like to turn a unique, expensive piece purple, you can; just remember that you may not be able to sell it back to a dealer.
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Step 2
Set the glassware or bottles in a spot that gets lots of direct sunshine. This method can take months, possibly years, to produce a purple tint, depending on where you live. You can speed up the process by using a UV lamp on your bottle.
Step 3
Place the bottle under a powerful UV lamp. If you have access to a UV cabinet, the kind used to sanitize things, place the bottle in it for a few days or weeks to turn it purple. Use caution when working with UV light, and wear UV filtering goggles to protect your eyes; depending on the strength of the lamps, even a brief moment of exposure can damage your eyes. Inspect the bottle daily until it reaches the desired shade.
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