Look what I found!

David Garinger, of Eagle Ridge, takes pride in his “sun glass” collection. Sun glass is ordinary glass that has turned a delicate lavender shade because of long-term exposure to sunlight.

Garinger has more than 50 pieces in the collection he began in the 1960s. Most were found in California, Oregon and Washington.

His favorites include a large biscuit jar, an early kerosene lamp with its original wall mount and reflector, and salt cellars and candlesticks.

Glassware made after 1925 does not include manganese, Garinger says, so it no longer reacts to sunlight.

“I’ve always liked the color and the idea that it had been changed by the sun,” he says. “And, the fact that you don’t see it everywhere.”

Note: Not all purple glass is authentic sun glass. Reproductions abound. Glass color can be changed by exposure to artificial ultraviolet light. Some glass collectors insist that “purpling” glass, either by the sun or by exposure to a UV light, decreases its value. Others disagree.