Italy

What do you call the amorphous solid, neither a liquid nor a solid but something in between that is made of sand? Glas!

Sand, especially quartz sand, is the key ingredient for making glass. The more clear quartz, the more transparent the glass. The first truly transparent glass was first made in Murano, Italy. Murano became renowned for mastering making exceptional transparency in the glass.

The availability of clear quartz sand and pebbles in the area contributed to its success. Natural sand always has some impurities. To get around it, the Italian glass makers picked the clearest quartz pebbles and crushed it into a clean man-made sand to heat.

Revealing the Murano glass recipe was once punishable by death, demonstrating its value to the people.

Glas is but one thing sand is used for. Follow OUAW on social for more!