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61 BCE
The Gem
Roman emperor Nero was spotted using a gem to watch the gladiator games. -
1285
Salvino D'armate probably invented eyeglasses
The earliest glasses were used mostly by monks and scholars and were made of metal, wood, lead, copper or bone for the frames and quartz for the lenses themselves. The also didn't have the temples, or side pieces that help balance them, and were held to the face. -
1301
Glass Lenses
"[Sometime] in the 14th century, Venetian craftsmen were making 'disks for the eyes'. Italians gave these glass disks that were finely ground the name lenses because they were similar in shape to lentil beans. The earliest lenses were convex, the bulged outward in the middle, and they were used to correct farsightedness." -
1350
Riveted Frames
In the mid-1300s, riveted spectacles are introduced. The V-shape of the frames allowed them to stay on easier, as balance was hard to achieve with the rounded frame. Nearsighted aristocrats are the majority of people who used them, especially for croquet. -
1451
Eyeglasses for Nearsighted People
Nicholas of Cusa in Germany produced eyeglasses for nearsighted people using concave lenses. These lenses were thicker near the end and thinner in the center. This is also about the time that books were made available to the masses, and the less wealthy were able to buy and wear glasses. -
Lighter Frames
In the early 17th century, lighter frames made of steel were invented. -
Modern Eyeglass Style
The style of eyeglasses allowing them to cover the bridge of the nose and go behind the ears was created by Edward Scarlett. -
Bifocals
The invention of bifocals, glasses with two distinct optical powers, happens in 1784. Benjamin Franklin can be credited for this. -
Correcting Astigmatism
Sir George Biddle Airy invented glasses to correct astigmatism, which were meant to be held by hand. -
Pince Nez
Around the 1840s, the pince-nez eyeglasses were developed in France. They were designed to be held in place by ribbon or by exerting pressure on the bridge of the nose. -
Acrylic Lenses
In the 1940s, acrylic lenses paved the way for today's plastic ones. -
Plastic Lenses
In 1962, the first lightweight plastic frame is manufactured. They are lighter, cheaper, and safer to wear. -
Polycarbonate Lenses
Polycarbonate lenses are created. They are thin and distortion free.
