Beads made from an early form of glass have been found in the remains of bronze foundries and tombs dating back to China's Shang and Zhou dynasties (17th-3rd centuries BC). These beads were probably a by-product of bronze casting, formed from vitrified droplets of molten lead and copper mixed with clay.
早在商周時候的鑄銅遺址和古墓中，已經發現一些可能是玻璃雛形的珠子，推測是銅匠在鑄銅時，濺出的鉛銅溶液和陶土相混，而意外形成綠色的玻璃。