I put a heavy clear violet very old glass vase in the dishwasher.?

It went in the washer violet and came out green. After sitting on a shelf for a few days out of direct light it turned back to it's original colour. After I put it in a brighter light it went back to green. What has happened?


I know it should have never been put in dishwasher.I put a heavy clear violet very old glass vase in the dishwasher.?
This is a phenomenon which is quite common in minerals, many fade in bright light or heat and others, in particular natural zircon, change colour and then return to original with time. It is a very complex reaction involving the transfer of electrons from one molecular site to another and I do not have enough space here to explain it properly. It is quite rare for this to happen with glass however, but don't worry, any way you now have a super talking point to show your friends. It is not possible to say for sure but it may well settle down again in a year or two. With heavy glass you were very lucky that it did not shatter or crack in a washing up machine and also if it is made of lead crystal the chemicals in the cleaning compound will, in time, ruin the surface of the glass as it causes etching.