The Mason jar started as a glass bottle, and in the beginning, people used it to hold a variety of vegetables, fruits, and fruit in a very convenient way.

In the mid-19th century, a tinsmith, John Landis Mason, invented the screw cap and patented it in 1858. Glass jars were easy to clean and screw caps were easy to use and reusable. So it was widely used in people’s daily lives. And, many early Mason jars were made of clear, light blue glass, which has a lot of collector’s value today.

 

Mason’s patent expired in 1880. Then a pair of brothers with the last name of Bauer started to make jars of various shapes, sizes, and colors. People also found a business opportunity in this. More and more Mason jars appeared on the market, emerging many well-known brands, such as Ball, Kerr, and Atlas.

 

Mason jars come in two standard sizes: regular caliber and wide caliber. The caliber of different brands of Mason jars is also basically the same. This means that if we accidentally lose a lid, we can also seal it with another brand’s lid. It’s very convenient, isn’t it? To learn more about Mason jar sizes you can also refer to our other article: Guide to Mason Jar Sizes: What Options Are Available?

 

Figure 1 two glass mason jars with metal lids, one is empty, another is filled with green oliver