At Manhattan Gold & Silver, we are pretty lenient about the forms of precious metal we can accept for refining. Unfortunately, there are a few cases where we need to draw the line, one of which is cranberry glass.

Also known as gold ruby glass, cranberry glass has a striking red hue that is achieved by adding gold to molten glass. This type of glass craft has been around for hundreds of years, but was especially popular in 19th century Britain. Around this time, a legend began to spread about the origin of the craft – that it was discovered when a nobleman flipped a gold coin into a molten glass mixture. However, all glassmakers dispute this theory because that “technique” simply doesn’t work.

To make cranberry glass, gold must first be dissolved in a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids (an extremely powerful acid known to chemists as aqua regia) before it is added to glass. Cranberry glass requires a high-level technique and expensive ingredients, so it’s almost as rare as the gold that goes into it.

Cranberry glass vases or decanters make for stunning centerpiece displays. Surely, the timeless appeal of this glass explains why it has persisted through the ages.

We all know where precious metals come from: they are mined from the ground. But, have you ever wondered how they formed in the earth’s crust? New research indicates that the gold we use to explore space actually came from space.

The idea that gold and other precious metals have always been on earth doesn’t really mesh with current theories about the planet’s formation. Imagine the earth billions and billions of years ago – a shifting molten mass drifting through the cosmos. The majority of earth’s core is made of iron. Certain metals such as gold and platinum are attracted to iron. If those metals existed on earth while it was still in its molten state, they would have drifted closer to the earth’s core and away from its crust – leaving it devoid of precious metals.

However, we all know that’s not the case. So, how did the metals end up in the earth’s crust instead of its core? Scientists believe that approximately 3.9 billion years ago, the earth was bombarded with meteorites containing the metals – peppering precious deposits throughout the earth’s crust and becoming incorporated into the modern mantle we know today. New research comparing rocks that pre-date the estimated time of bombardment with “younger” rocks reveals a number of geochemical indicators that scientists believe to be evidence in support of this “bombardment theory.”

In truth, your gold necklace or platinum wedding band may be a gift from the stars!

Gold rushes are an integral part of American history. Through them, America bolstered its economy, built amazing cities, and of course, dug up a lot of gold. Several gold rushes have occurred around the country throughout history, the most famous of which was the California Gold Rush in 1849.

It all started when California pioneer John Sutter contracted James Marshall to build a lumber mill. It was at Sutter’s mill that Marshall discovered alluvial gold, which he showed to Sutter. Sutter, however, was not pleased with the discovery – believing (and rightly so) that if word spread that the area was rich with gold deposits, it would ruin his chance to get a head start in the business, in the then quiet California countryside. Despite his attempts at secrecy, word spread quickly and the California Gold Rush was underway.

The Klondike Gold Rush in Canada’s Yukon Territory, and parts of Alaska, is widely considered to be the last great gold rush. That is to say, it was the last gold rush where individual miners had a strong presence and where able to strike it rich. In present times, corporations and mining companies descend on gold finds far too quickly for individuals to stake a claim. The days of a free-for-all exodus of travelers off to a new land with hopes finding the mother load are now but a part of the past. So while we may never see another gold rush, we at least have a rich history established by the rushes of the past to remind us of those times.