The glass is heated to dry the backing, which is usually sealed on by a layer of paint. Any excess is rinsed from the glass and reused. The silver is applied in an extremely thin layer. The tin acts as a primer which allows the silver to stick to the glass. Next, a layer of liquid tin is applied to the glass, then a liquid layer of silver.
Distilled water is used so that minerals do not contaminate the glass. In this method, the glass is thoroughly washed, then rinsed with distilled water. The other popular method does actually use silver. The molecules of evaporated aluminum rise and when they hit the glass, they cool and harden, creating the reflective backing. Sheets of glass are put into a heated vacuum sealed chamber where aluminum is evaporated onto the glass. One method doesn’t actually use silver at all. Various methods are used to silver the glass to create a mirror. This creates a consistent thickness and smooth, flat finish. Float glass is molten glass that floats on top of a bed of molten metal. Mirrors start their life like any other piece of float glass. The modern methods of silvering are a bit more high tech. For example, mercury mirrors sparkle under direct light. Mercury mirrors have different reflective qualities than modern mirrors. If such a test is not available, you can examine the features of the mirror. The most reliable is a chemical test to determine if mercury is present.
There are a few techniques used to identify mercury mirrors.
Quick Tip: If you have an antique mirror dating back to before 1900, there is a chance that it is made with mercury. Obviously, for health reasons it was not ideal for mirror manufacturers or consumers to be exposed to mercury, which is highly toxic and can cause a variety of health and mental health disorders. This process was standard for creating mirrors all the way up until the early 20 th century. This was a two-step process where both liquid mercury and tin foil were used in conjunction to produce a silvering effect on the glass. The first versions of the mirror as we know today came about in the 15 th century when a tin-mercury amalgam was used to silver mirrors. Instead, they were made from highly polished pieces of metal. The world’s first mirrors, dating back to at least 2,000 B.C.E., didn’t suffer de-silvering issues because they weren’t even made from glass.
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