Once the methods of colored glass production were discovered, an explosion of experimentation began. The goal was to find substances that would produce specific colors in the glass. Some of the earliest objects made from glass were small cups, bottles, and ornaments.

Religious organizations were among those who provided incentive to the early glass artisans. Stained glass windows became very popular additions to churches, mosques, synagogues, and other buildings of significance over 1000 years ago. The artists who made these windows needed a full palette of colors to make a realistic stained glass scene. Their search for a full palette of colors fueled research and experimentation to produce a vast array of colored glass.