ScienceThe Guardian‘It’s magic’: scientists rediscover how to make ancient Roman colour-changing glass
Scientists at the University of Sheffield have finally replicated the colour-changing glass of the ancient Roman Lycurgus Cup, a 1,600-year-old mystery solved using gold and silver nanoparticles.
Exclusive: Optical engineering that went into 1,600-year-old Lycurgus Cup has baffled experts for centuries
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have successfully replicated the optical trick behind the 1,600-year-old Roman Lycurgus Cup, which changes from green to ruby red depending on the light.
The secret lies in gold and silver nanoparticles embedded in the glass, each a thousand times smaller than a grain of sand, which block or scatter different wavelengths of light.
Dr Lisa Hollands, who led the replication work, described it as a labour of love, saying previous attempts had met with only limited success.
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