@patriciaxlee.eth

This purple crystal ball at an antique shop caught my eye today. The owner said everyone asks to buy it, but it’s not for sale. She’s owned this crystal ball for over 30 years. In addition to her own sentimental attachment to it, her children have requested it to be left to them in her will. When she first acquired it, this ball was completely clear in color. It slowly turned purple over time through exposure to the sun. Of course, hearing this sent me down a purple crystal ball rabbit hole. The fact that it turned from clear to purple is an indication that it’s not crystal but manganese-doped glass. In the late 19th and early 20th century, glassmakers often added manganese dioxide to glass as a decolorizer to make it look clear. Over time, UV light from the sun causes the manganese to undergo a photochemical reaction. This effect is sometimes called “sun-purpled” glass or “solarization.” It’s common in old glass bottles and decorative glass objects left in sunny windows for decades. True quartz crystal balls won’t turn purple in sunlight. Even though this particular ball isn’t crystal, this slow change in appearance indicates it’s a truly vintage item. Also, whatever it’s made of, the real magic to me is in the time and attention the object has received from its owner. I love thinking about how the depth of the color will always remind her children how long she had it on her windowsill. And how some things just aren’t for sale.

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