Can you drink out of antique cranberry glass?

You can use most of these pieces for their original purpose. Hand washing is the rule though. Modern dishwashers will etch the surface and leave a permanent cloudy residue over time. Keep them away from sudden temperature changes. Pouring boiling water into a cold jug risks cracking the base. Warm the glass gradually if you plan to serve hot drinks.

My grandmother left me a large ruffled bowl but it wobbles when I put it on a flat table, is that normal for old glass?

Hand-blown bowls often sit slightly unevenly. The pontil mark on the base or a slight asymmetry in the foot rim can cause a minor rock. Factory-produced blanks are generally flatter but earlier hand-finished wares show these variations. Check if the base has a deep polished dip. Sometimes the grinder took off too much glass when smoothing the pontil scar. This uneven grinding leaves the bowl resting on a narrow outer edge.

How do you clean the cloudy marks inside?

White vinegar and water shifts most hard water stains. Leave it to soak overnight before rinsing out the vessel. Stubborn clouding might be sickness in the glass itself. This happens when the chemical structure breaks down and nothing will wash that away.

I have a tall jug with a clear handle but the handle feels quite rough where it joins the main body at the bottom, why is this?

The glassblower applied the handle while both parts were hot. They attached the top first and then pulled the hot trail of glass down to form the loop. The bottom join was snapped off and pressed into the body. This leaves a thick pad of clear glass that often feels rough or irregular to the touch. Tool marks are common around these joins. Pincers or shears were used to shape the terminal before the glass cooled down.

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Antique Cranberry Glass

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Antique cranberry glass is a translucent red or pinkish-red glassware, made by adding gold chloride to the molten mix, heavily favoured in the Victorian era for domestic tableware, jugs, and drinking vessels.