The absorption characteristics of Cu2+ ions in binary alkali silicate and ternary silicate glasses were investigated. The molar extinction coefficients of the Cu2+ ion were determined in a series of binary alkali silicate and a ternary soda-lime-silica glasses for the actual intensities of the observed bands at their wavelength maxima. The absorption maxima due to Cu2+ ions were found to shift towards the longer wavelengths with increasing ionic radii of the alkali ions, in the present series of glasses. The base glass compositions were selected as 30R(2)O . 70SiO(2) and 20Na(2)O . 10CaO . 70SiO(2) where R(+) = Li+, Na+ and K+ ions. The results obtained are discussed in the light of a ligand field approach.