CLEVELAND (WJW) – One of the largest manufacturers of eclipse glasses is reminding the public to “see safe” and only purchase certified safe glasses to prevent eye injury amid a rise in counterfeit glasses for sale.
“Quite frankly, there’s quite a few counterfeit glasses coming over from overseas and being sold in places and people taking advantage,” President and CEO of American Paper Optics John Jerit. “I don’t think you should take a chance with your eyes. I think you should make sure you have legitimately made and properly certified glasses.”
The Tennessee-based company produced 65 million eclipse glasses so far, including custom Rock and Roll Hall of Fame glasses for sale at the museum in Cleveland.
Jerit said before you purchase glasses, make sure to look for reputable vendors and a few key markers on glasses that prove it’s safe to view the eclipse. The American Astronomical Society has a list of vendors that meet international safety standards.
American Paper Optics has manufacturer directions and information printed on the glasses to make it easier to spot a fake.
“American made, proper marking with the ISO certification which means we’ve had them lab tested the filters have been tested the construction of the glasses have been tested,” Jerit said about the glasses. “Our glasses have a silvery outside and a black inside — that’s another way to tell you’ve got our glasses.”
The total solar eclipse will cross Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., including people within a 124-mile-wide band of Ohio.
Jerit said the company sold 45 million glasses for the 2017 eclipse.
“Get your glasses early be prepared, see safe,” Jerit said.