Wikipedia

Glitter

For other uses, seeGlitter (disambiguation).

Glitteris an assortment of flat, small, reflective particles that are precision cut and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Glitter particles reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Glitter is similar toconfetti,sparkles andsequins,but somewhat smaller.

Close-up of holographic glitter

Since prehistoric times, glitter has been made from many different materials including stones such asmalachite,andmica,[1]as well asinsects[2]andglass.[3]Uses for glitter include clothing, arts, crafts, cosmetics and body paint.[4][5]Modern glitter is usually manufactured from thecombinationofaluminumandplastic,which is rarely recycled and can find its way into aquatic habitats, eventually becoming ingested by animals, leading some scientists to call for bans on plastic glitter.[6][7][8][9]

Antiquity

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Mica

Glittering surfaces have been found to be used since prehistoric times in the arts and in cosmetics. The modern English word "glitter" comes from the Middle English wordgliteren,possibly by way of theOld Norsewordglitra.[10]However, as early as 30,000 years ago, mica flakes were used to give cave paintings a glittering appearance.[1]Prehistoric humans are believed to have used cosmetics,[11]made of powderedhematite,a sparkling mineral.[12]

The AncientEgyptiansproduced "glitter-like substances from crushed beetles"[13]as well as finely ground greenmalachitecrystal. Researchers believeMayantemples were sometimes painted with red, green, and grey glitter paint made from mica dust, based on infrared scans of the remnants of paint still found on the structures in present-dayGuatemala.[14]

People of theAmericas8,000 years ago were using powderedgalena,a form of lead, to produce a bright greyish-white glittering paint used for objects ofadornment.[15]The collecting andsurface miningof galena was prevalent in theUpper Mississippi Valleyregion by theCahokianative peoples, for regional trade both raw and crafted into beads or other objects.[15]

Modern glitter

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Magnified nail polish

Development

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The first production of modern plastic glitter is credited to the American machinist Henry F. Ruschmann who invented a machine to cut photo films and paper in the 1930s. Sometimes, the machine "stuttered," generating small pieces of glossy cellulose that employees picked up and used as "snow" to decorate their Christmas trees, and modern glitter was born.[16][1]With his partner, Harry Goetz, Ruschmann cut mica into washers and glitter from metallized cellulose acetate film. During World War II, glass glitter became unavailable so Ruschmann found a market for scrap plastics, which were ground into glitter.[1][17]In 1943, he purchased Meadowbrook Farm inBernardsville, New Jerseywhere he founded Meadowbrook Farm Inventions (MFI) in 1948 to produce industrial glitter.[18]MFI became Meadowbrook Inventions, Inc. in 1953.[16]Ruschmann filed a patent for a mechanism for cross-cutting films as well as other glitter-related inventions.[19]Substrates for cutting glitter expanded from metalized cellulose and aluminum foil to metalized and iridescent film, polyester, PVC, and laminations cut into various shapes.[16]

Production

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Today over 20,000 varieties of glitter are manufactured in a vast number of different colors, sizes, and materials.[20]One estimate suggests 10 million pounds (4.5 million kilograms) of glitter was either purchased or produced between the years of 1989 and 2009, however the source[21]provides no evidence or reference point. Commercial glitter ranges in size from 0.002 to.25 inches (0.05 to 6.35 mm)[22]a side. First, flat multi-layered sheets areproduced combining plastic,coloring, and reflective material such asaluminium,titanium dioxide,iron oxide,andbismuth oxychloride.These sheets are then cut into tiny particles of many shapes including squares, triangles, rectangles, and hexagons.[22]

Use

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Glitternail polish
Iridescentfishing lures
Furniture made of glitterPVC.

Prior to fabrics made with modern glitter,sequinswere sewn or woven on to fabric to give it a glittering appearance. Edible glitter made fromgum arabicand other ingredients is even used by culinary artists.[23]

Glitter is used in cosmetics to make the face and nails shiny or sparkly. After theMicrobead-Free Waters Act of 2015,the use ofmicrobeadsintoothpasteand other "rinse-off" cosmetics has been discontinued in the US;[24]since 2015 the industry has shifted toward usingFDA-approved "rinse-off"metallized-plasticglitter as their primaryabrasive agentinstead.[25][26][27]

Glitter is commonly used in arts and crafts to color, accessorise and texture items. The small, brightly colored particles often stick to clothing, skin, and furniture, and can be difficult to remove. It is also used inoptically variable inks.

Glitter coatings or finishes are frequently used onfishing luresto draw attention by simulating the scales of prey fish.[28]

Due to its unique characteristics, glitter has also proven to be usefulforensic evidence.Because of the tens of thousands of different commercial glitters, identical glitter particles can be compelling evidence that a suspect has been at a crime scene. Forensic scientist Edwin Jones has one of the largest collections of glitter, consisting of over 1,000 different samples used in comparison of samples taken from crime scenes. Glitter particles are easily transferred through the air or by touch, yet cling to bodies and clothing, often unnoticed by suspects.[29]

Glitter in culture

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Glitter shoes

Glitter can be seen as a tool of fashion used by various subcultures, as it allows for a visible statement to be worn and seen on the body. This is because it has been theorized to be a "flickering signifier", or something that destabilizes known notions of popular culture, identity, and society.[30]Glitter is associated with "fringe cultures", which often use excessive glitz and glamor (such as glitter) to evoke a deeper understanding between the relationships of commercialized popular culture and "high" culture, or "high-brow" art.[31]

Used byglam rockers,such asDavid Bowie,Gary GlitterandIggy Pop,glitter is also used as a tool to help blur gender lines. This helped to create the more extreme "glitter rock" – an even more heightened version ofglam rock.[32]

Glitter is also used by nail artists and make-up artists to make statements about femininity and beauty standards. The flashy, sparkling nature of glitter allows users to push standard ideas of beauty and what is and is not considered "excessive" in terms of make-up. Glitter is usually associated with nightlife and not professionalism, but wearing it in different settings can push these boundaries.[30]

Because of its tendency to shed off items it is applied to and stick onto unwanted surfaces, including skin, hair, and clothes, glitter is also used forglitter bombing,which is an act ofprotestin which activists throw glitter on people at public events.[33]Glitter bombers have frequently been motivated by, though not limited to, their targets' opposition tosame-sex marriage.[34]Some legal officials argue glitter bombing is technicallyassaultandbattery.It is possible for glitter to enter the eyes or nose and cause damage to the cornea or other soft tissues potentially irritating them or leading to infection,[35]depending on the size of the glitter. Whether a prosecutor would pursue the charges depends on a number of factors.[36]

Environmental impact

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Trisia Farrelly,an environmental anthropologist atMassey University,has called for a ban on glitter made ofpolyethylene terephthalate(PETE) and aluminum, as it is amicroplasticthat can leachhormonal disruptorsinto the environment.[7]Furthermore, plastic glitter takes about one thousand years to biodegrade, according to Victoria Miller, a materials and engineering scientist atNorth Carolina State University.[37]When dozens of British music festivals pledged to ban single-use plastics by 2021, the proposed ban included plastic glitter.[38]

Biodegradable glitter made from eucalyptus tree extract is metaled with aluminium and can be coloured.[39]It is "40% softer and more delicate on the skin than conventional glitter," and it decomposes in soil or water.[38]Cellulose glitter is also available.[40]

According to Chris Flower, director-general of the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association, "the total contribution to marine plastic litter from glittery cosmetic products is negligible when compared to the damaging effects of bags and bottles... [While the] total effect of giving up traditional glitter might not be great in comparison with other harmful plastics, we should still do everything we can."[41]

Since October 2023, some types of glitter have been restricted in theEuropean Unionas part of a ban onmicroplasticsintentionally added to products.[42][43][44][45]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcdMangum, Aja (October 7, 2007)."Glitter: A Brief History".New York Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on October 22, 2013.RetrievedOctober 12,2013.
  2. ^"Beauty, Hairstyles and Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt".Facts and Details.Archivedfrom the original on April 8, 2023.RetrievedNovember 12,2012.
  3. ^Blumenthall, Deborah (March 3, 1988)."Restoring The Glitter And Sheen Of Jewelry".New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on October 15, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 21,2019.
  4. ^Yurtsever, Meral (June 1, 2019)."Glitters as a Source of Primary Microplastics: An Approach to Environmental Responsibility and Ethics".Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics.32(3): 459–478.Bibcode:2019JAEE...32..459Y.doi:10.1007/s10806-019-09785-0.ISSN1573-322X.S2CID254599065.
  5. ^Green, Dannielle Senga; Jefferson, Megan; Boots, Bas; Stone, Leon (January 15, 2021)."All that glitters is litter? Ecological impacts of conventional versus biodegradable glitter in a freshwater habitat".Journal of Hazardous Materials.402:124070.Bibcode:2021JHzM..40224070G.doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124070.ISSN0304-3894.PMID33254837.S2CID224894411.Archivedfrom the original on May 5, 2024.RetrievedMarch 25,2023.
  6. ^Tagg, Alexander S.; Ivar do Sul, Juliana A. (September 1, 2019)."Is this your glitter? An overlooked but potentially environmentally-valuable microplastic".Marine Pollution Bulletin.146:50–53.Bibcode:2019MarPB.146...50T.doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.068.ISSN0025-326X.PMID31426186.S2CID196663911.
  7. ^abGabbatiss, Josh(November 16, 2017)."Glitter should be banned over environmental impact, scientists warn".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on November 15, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 28,2018.
  8. ^Crossman, Jill; Hurley, Rachel R.; Futter, Martyn; Nizzetto, Luca (July 1, 2020)."Transfer and transport of microplastics from biosolids to agricultural soils and the wider environment".Science of the Total Environment.724:138334.Bibcode:2020ScTEn.72438334C.doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138334.hdl:11250/2677285.ISSN0048-9697.PMID32408466.S2CID216484726.
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  15. ^abGibbon, Guy E. (August 1, 1998). Ames, Kenneth M. (ed.).Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: An Encyclopedia.Routledge. pp.310.ISBN978-0815307259.
  16. ^abcRobert Seeley, Henry W. Ruschmann (2021)."The Discovery, Development of Glitter".Paper Film & Foil Converter (PPFC.online.com). p. 18-20. Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 22,2022.
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  18. ^"Company Information".Meadowbrook Inventions, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon September 27, 2013.RetrievedNovember 12,2012.
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  30. ^abMichele, White (2015).Producing women: the Internet, traditional femininity, queerness, and creativity.New York.ISBN9781138776791.OCLC889666420.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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  33. ^Vinciguerra, Thomas (August 27, 2011).Glittering Rage.ArchivedMarch 22, 2017, at theWayback MachineThe New York Times
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  35. ^Kurtz, Judy (February 8, 2012)."Eye doctor warns of dangers of political protest on gay marriage".The Hill.Archivedfrom the original on December 21, 2022.RetrievedApril 16,2024.
  36. ^van der Pool, Lisa (September 2, 2011)."All that glitters is not gold, in the eyes of legal system".Boston Business Journal.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2011.RetrievedNovember 21,2011.
  37. ^Weaver, Caity (December 21, 2018)."What Is Glitter?".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 1,2019.
  38. ^abStreet, Chloe."61 UK festivals are banning glitter - make the switch to eco sparkle".Evening Standard.Archivedfrom the original on October 23, 2018.RetrievedOctober 23,2018.
  39. ^"The eco-friendly guide to glitter".BBC Newsbeat.November 18, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on October 30, 2018.RetrievedOctober 23,2018.
  40. ^Bramley, Ellie Violet (January 21, 2018)."Losing its sparkle: the dark side of glitter".The Guardian.RetrievedJanuary 26,2019.
  41. ^Street, Chloe (April 16, 2018)."Could festivals ban glitter? Here's why it's time to switch to biodegradable sparkle".Evening Standard.Archived fromthe originalon January 2, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 1,2019– viaMSN.
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  43. ^Niranjan, Ajit (October 17, 2023)."EU to crack down further on microplastics after glitter ban".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
  44. ^Green, Dannielle Senga; Jefferson, Megan; Boots, Bas; Stone, Leon (January 15, 2021)."All that glitters is litter? Ecological impacts of conventional versus biodegradable glitter in a freshwater habitat".Journal of Hazardous Materials.402:124070.Bibcode:2021JHzM..40224070G.doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124070.ISSN0304-3894.PMID33254837.S2CID224894411.Archivedfrom the original on May 5, 2024.RetrievedMarch 25,2023.
  45. ^Blackledge, Robert D.; Jones, Edwin L. (July 17, 2007), Blackledge, Robert D. (ed.),"All that Glitters Is Gold!",Forensic Analysis on the Cutting Edge,Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 1–32,doi:10.1002/9780470166932.ch1,ISBN978-0-470-16693-2,archivedfrom the original on March 25, 2023,retrievedMarch 25,2023
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