Glass-blowing was a development that occurred about the first the first century AD, probably originating in Syria. Its importance was that it allowed a much greater variety of shapes and sizes of articles to be manufactured. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the finest glassware was produced in the Arabic countries, and it was not until the rise of the Venetian glass-making industry that fine glass became common in Europe. The Venetian craftsmen were known both for the rich colours of their coloured glasses, and equally for the manufacture of clear, colourless glass, the secret for making which had been lost during the middle ages. There are many kinds of glass, having different ingredients and used for different purposes.
Sand is the principal raw material for essentially all commercial glasses.
Chemically, sand is silicon dioxide. These are similar to the natural material quartz. Most common glasses are made from white sand admixed with lime and soda ash. The admixed materials supply, at the temperature of the glassmaking furnace, calcium oxide and sodium oxide and have the effect of lowering the softening point. Glass of this kind, known as soda glass, is used for applications such as windows.