I absolutely abhor the stuff so I did a little research. Wikipedia is our friend.
Per Wikipedia:
Glitter describes an assortment of small, colourful, reflective particles that comes in a variety of shapes. Glitter particles reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Glitter is similar to confetti, sparkles, or sequins, but somewhat smaller. Since prehistoric times, glitter has been made and used as decoration, from many different materials including stones such as malachite, galena, and mica,as well as insectsand glass. Modern glitter is usually manufactured from plastic and is rarely recycled leading to calls from scientists for plastic glitter to be banned.
It turns out that the herpes of craft supplies has been around for 30,000 years. Mica flakes were used to decorate cave paintings. Glitter should have gone extinct with them.
The Urban dictionary describes it as "an unholy disease that transcends time and space" . Very aptly put.
The modern day version was created by glitter ( a British slang word for asshole), Henry Ruschman, an American machinest, who created it by accident. The company he founded still creats industrial glitter to this day in Barnardsville, NJ. Great, another reason to avoid the Garden State. WTF is industrial glitter?
On a side note that I found hilarious and maddening as a G of the LGBTQIA, glitter is also used as a slang term for a group of gay men. I'm guessing they combined gay and litter, as in a litter of kittens. Luckily I don't have that many gay friends to make a glitter.
I hope you've enjoyed the bit of a history and culture (LoL) lesson about the Devil's sperm (glitter is a slang word for spunk as well)
Anyone have an interesting or embarrassing story about glitter?