Because at first production was limited to small amounts by technical factors, glass was regarded as a precious substance, valued even higher than gold or jade.
早期由於技術上的限制，玻璃產量有限，身價非凡，比黃金或天然寶石更受珍視，用玻璃瓶裝香水或以玻璃杯飲酒，是王公、富豪的奢侈享受。隨著工業的發展，玻璃的質、量均日益精進，用途也越來越多，不論建築、照明、化學實驗、醫療用具、日常生活用品…… 等，都廣為利用。