Process for producing a discharge lamp having a silica discharge vessel with an emission space in which there is a pair of electrodes at least 0.15 mg/mm.sup.3 of mercury, argon (Ar), and halogen by measuring the relation b/a1 between the emission intensity a1 of argon (Ar) at a wavelength of 668 nm and the emission intensity b of OH radicals at a wavelength of 309 nm in a state of glow discharge of the discharge lamp; supplying hydrogen into the discharge vessel of the discharge lamp; measuring the relation c/a2 between the emission intensity a2 of argon (Ar) at a wavelength of 668 nm and the emission intensity c of OH radicals at a wavelength of 309 nm in the state of glow discharge of the discharge lamp; and fixing the difference c/a2-b/a1 at a value in the range of 0.001 to 15.