There are two main aspects to mirrors and antique mirrors give you the best of both if you happen to like the look of antiques for your home or office. The glass in antique mirrors may often be somewhat irregular, but that is often part of their charm. If the mirror has a frame, then having an antique mirror gives you as a bonus an antique frame. But the most important aspect to the antique mirror in terms of reflection is the coating on the back of the glass. At one time there was diamond dust added to the paint which makes for a wonderful rich, deep and vivid reflection. Modern mirrors do not compare with the quality of some of the antique mirrors that have survived the years. And that makes some antique mirrors very valuable and sometimes, very rare.
Of course, truly old antique mirrors are a miracle as they have endured the years and use and have not broken. A French Trumeau mirror from the early eighteenth century is a good example of a rare antique mirror. These mirrors were place on the walls near windows and over a table or fireplace mantles where candles would be place in front of them so that during the day they would reflect outdoor light and in the evening they would reflect candle light. An antique mirror of this vintage is worth thousands and possibly tens of thousands of dollars.
Another style of antique mirror comes from American furniture history. It is a panel mirror and consists of any number of mirrored pieces fixed together on a backing and framed as a whole. Antique mirrors often have bevelled edges to the glass which is a great feature. There are hand held antique mirrors in addition to the wall and free-standing varieties. Often the antique hand mirrors are encased in sterling silver or silver plated, but a very rare and very old style of antique vanity mirror is one made of brass with a polished finish for reflection and doesn’t contain any glass at all.
It is possible to put a new mirror and place it in an antique picture frame to get the effect of a great old antique mirror and this approach will have some authenticity to it as the glass in many real antique mirrors has been replaced anyway so why not get yourself the look of an antique mirror for the price of a frame and an inexpensive new mirror glass? Any way you come by your antique mirrors can be a good way since what you want may not be authentic antiques, but just the look of the antique mirror and creating your own might be just the way to go.