How to Make Mirrors by Silvering Glass

Last Updated: May 14, 2024

Modern mirrors are made by depositing aluminum. But back in the Victorian era aluminum wasn't available and so they made their mirrors using silver metal. Using silver nitrate (available online, or can be made in another wikiHow) you can make your own mirrors.

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Get 1 gram of silver nitrate and 1 gram (0.035 oz) of sodium hydroxide in separate containers and add enough water to both to dissolve them. ^{[1]
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A black precipitate of silver oxide will form.

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Place your article you want to silver into the solution, or pour the solution into a tray containing your article (for larger articles like glass panes)
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Boiling tears the silver off the surface
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Eventually the solution will turn to a cream color and your article is now silvered, take it out and wipe off the silver from where you don't want it.
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Why can't this process be used to make front silvered mirrors?

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The surface of the glass is perfectly smooth, so it will be a perfect mirror. The surface on the silver metal itself is not smooth enough to be a mirror. It will be nearly smooth like the dull side of aluminum foil, which is not smooth enough for a mirror.

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Silver nitrate is explosive, isn't it?

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Silver nitrate is corrosive, but not explosive. It may cause abrasions or burns to the skin.

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What chemical is on the back of the mirror?

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The chemical is a mixture of silver nitrate, sodium hydroxide, water, ammonia and sugar.

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Tips

This process produces back-silvered mirrors. Which is the same type of mirror as most domestic mirrors. Front-silvered mirrors cannot be made by this process.

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use tape to cover up parts you don't want to silver.

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The glass must be VERY clean. Oil and dirt will give bad bonding of the silver.

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Warnings

Upon heating the solution will emit ammonia fumes, so do this outside or in a well-ventilated area.

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When you're done, flush all chemicals and clean all surfaces with lots of water.

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Perform the whole setup to finish in less than two hours, or else the solution may produce a potentially explosive concentration of silver nitride/imide/amide. (See "The Hazards Associated with Silvering Mirrors, Vacuum Flasks, etc.", Health and Safety Executive OC 687/7)

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Keep away from children or pets while you're doing this.

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Hydrochloric acid and Sodium Hydroxide will burn'" your skin if you get it on you.

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