A: Vaseline glass has been produced since 1830. However, it was most popular from the 1880s until the 1920s. There was a ban on the production of Vaseline glass from 1943 to 1958, and after the ban was lifted, uranium prices were higher due to its use as a power source.
Is Vaseline glass still made?
A: Vaseline glass has been produced since 1830. However, it was most popular from the 1880s until the 1920s. There was a ban on the production of Vaseline glass from 1943 to 1958, and after the ban was lifted, uranium prices were higher due to its use as a power source.
While Depression-era glass was and continues to be wildly popular as a collectors item, there are other types of glass that remain a hot commodity, be it for their color, shape, rarity, or material; Uranium glass (or Vaseline glass, as it’s also called, known for its petroleum jelly yellow color) is just as highly …
What is the deal with uranium glass?
For hundreds of years, glassmakers used small amounts of uranium to create yellow or green glass. The yellow tint of this glass led to the nicknames “Vaseline glass” and “canary glass.” Under an ultraviolet (UV) or “black” light, the uranium causes the glass to glow bright green.
The yellow color of a piece of vaseline glass can actually vary to the naked eye under different light sources. But to purists, it must fluoresce bright green under a blacklight or it doesn’t qualify. Vaseline glass is also called “uranium glass,” at times, and for good reason.
Where can I find uranium glass?
Perhaps the most reliable way to identify the presence of uranium in the glass is to expose it in the dark to a source of ultraviolet light (e.g., a black light). If the glass glows a rich green color, it contains uranium.
What is the rarest color of Depression glass?
Pink glass is most valuable, followed by blue and green. Rare colors such as tangerine and lavender are also worth more than common colors like yellow and amber.
Who made uranium glass?
Uranium Glass (2001) by Barrie Skelcher. An article in The Journal of the Glass Association, volume 6 2001.
Is uranium glass illegal?
Uranium glass is still produced in Europe, the US and Japan as well as in many other countries. It contains very small traces of uranium but the radiation levels are minimal and not considered harmful. Private ownership and usage of nuclear materials is illegal in China.
Is all uranium glass green?
The fluorescence of vaseline (uranium) glass is always green. Either red/orange fluorescence or blue/greenish-blue fluorescence means NOT vaseline glass.. Right hand cat looks same as left one. But, it is a contemporary FENTON’s product, which does NOT glow under UV (that means it does NOT contain uranium).
How can you tell uranium glass without a black light?
UV light is the only true way to ensure you are getting uranium glass, but you can also look at your glassware in bright daylight to see if you detect a slight green glow.
Is uranium glass toxic?
A 2001 study by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission indicated that some uranium might be leached from the glass by acids that could result in very small radiation exposures to regular users of the glassware. While some uranium might also be leached during dishwashing, it would be removed with the wash water.
Is Depression glass the same as uranium glass?
Much, but not all, depression glass is uranium or Vaseline glass. The different types of glass can get kind of confusing, so let’s break it down: We know depression glass. Vaseline glass is yellow-colored depression glass.
What is Fenton Glass Worth?
How do you make uranium glass glow?
Did Fenton make Vaseline glass?
Fenton: First started making vaseline glass in 1930’s. Hobnail pattern started in 1941. Cactus pattern (original to Greentown Glass) was re-introduced 1959. Fenton is still producing limited supplies of vaseline artglass today.
How do you photograph uranium glass?
What is milk glass worth?
Most milk glass you find in antique stores, garage sales, and online will sell in the range of $10 to $30 per piece. However, some items sell for far more, and there are several factors that can affect the price of milk glass.
Why is it called carnival glass?
When the market for carnival glass slumped in the twenties, second-quality carnival glass was given away as prizes at carnivals, hence the name Carnival Glass. This kind of glass was first produced on a large scale by the Fenton Art Glass Company at their new factory in Williamstown, West Virginia, in 1908.
How can you tell if glass is vintage?
When did Fenton stop making uranium glass?
Fenton Art Glass began an attempt at restructuring in June 2007, until in July 2011 Fenton Art Glass had to cease traditional glassmaking and focus solely on being a jewelry making operation while continuing to sell inventory out of their gift shop and give tours of their museum.
Did Fenton make uranium glass?
There are 14 ingredients used in making Fenton Glass. The melting temperature for a batch of glass averages 2500 degrees F. The Fenton cranberry glass color comes from pure gold. Glass colors (yellow or green) containing uranium will fluoresce under black light.
Is Carnival Glass uranium glass?
7) Uranium Glass As part of the carnival glass craze, these pieces were often given as prizes at fairs in the 1930s. Not all green Depression glass is radioactive and there are pieces that pre-date the 1930s that also contain detectable levels of radiation.
When was uranium glass last made?
Uranium glass was produced regularly until just before WWII, when the US government halted production as uranium became highly regulated. This moratorium lasted until 1958, when uranium oxide was deregulated, and uranium glass has continued to be produced ever since (Collector’s Weekly n.d.).
Why is uranium glass popular?
By Art Jarka from Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Glass infused with uranium eventually got the nickname of vaseline glass because of its oily translucence. This unique quality made it relatively popular: companies made candy containers, lidded pots, tableware, glass lamps, etc.
What kind of glass glows under a blacklight?
Did you know that there is a type of glass that glows? It may sound like something out of science fiction, but it’s real and has been around for centuries. Known as uranium glassware, this special substance emits an eerie green shine when placed under a black light.
What is Fenton custard glass?
Custard glass is opaque yellow glass, reminiscent of the color of custard. It can vary from pale ivory to bright yellow/green, and sometimes it is decorated, often with gold and/or with roses. The name Custard Glass is used by collectors.
How do you date uranium glass?
Use a blacklight to identify the uranium in vaseline glass. Shine your UV light on the glass piece and look for a neon green glowing color. Using a black light is the only sure way to identify vaseline glass. Other glass pieces may turn green under a black light, but they will not glow like vaseline glass does.
How is milk glass made?
FORMULAS. Milk glass is most often made with tin dioxide as the “opacifier” along with arsenic and other ingredients, but there have been many other elements or compounds used as opacifiers, such as titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, fluorspar, cryolite, antimony, sulfates, chorides, etc.
What is Depression glass made of?
Some depression glass is uranium glass. Although of marginal quality, Depression glass has been highly collectible since the 1960s. Due to its popularity as a collectible, it is becoming more scarce on the open market. Rare pieces may sell for several hundred dollars.
What is the rarest piece of carnival glass?
Auctioneer’s Description: Millersburg BLUE Peoples vase. EXTREMELY RARE! The most ICONIC piece of Carnival Glass ever made. This vase is considered by most to be the KINGPIN of all carnival glass, not just Millersburg.
What is carnival glass Worth?
With its stunningly beautiful colors, iridescent glaze, and endless variety, carnival glass is a popular collector’s item that used to be given away for free. Today, it’s common for single pieces to fetch $30 to $50 at auction with especially desirable items selling for much more.
Did Fenton go out of business?
Now the Fenton Art Glass Company has announce that it is not taking any new orders, and will be closing its doors by the end of October.
Is Burmese glass radioactive?
Uranium glass also fluoresces bright green under ultraviolet light and can register above background radiation on a sufficiently sensitive Geiger counter, although most pieces of uranium glass are considered to be harmless and only negligibly radioactive.
Is Boyd glass still in business?
If you are looking for Boyd glass, you can usually find a selection on offer on ebay ” Click here to see what Boyd Glass is for sale just now. The Boyd company closed in 2014 but their website still existed in 2021 (www.boydglass.com).
How can you identify Fenton Glass?
What is Vaseline glass made of?
Vaseline glass makers began with the yellow pieces and eventually added in iron oxide to make pieces with the green color, which were referred to as uranium glass. Technically, the yellow and green pieces are both uranium glass.
Is Westmoreland Glass always marked?
The first Westmoreland pieces were marked with a W inside a keystone, and in the 1940s this logo was changed to the more recognizable overlapping WG. Some Westmoreland pieces today are completely unmarked. Later production runs were sometimes labeled with a paper sticker, which is long gone in nearly every case.
What is the most valuable glassware?
Generally, pieces dating from the mid-19th through the early-20th century are considered the most valuable. Referred to as “old” milk glass, these objects showcased motifs such as dolphins, animals, birds, and ships, and featured molded edges resembling latticework.
Is carnival glass flashed?
Carnival glass gets its iridescent sheen from metallic salts having been sprayed on the surface of the glass while it was still very hot. A final firing of the glass brings out the iridescent, shimmery look caused by the presence of the salts, giving carnival glass the distinct appearance it is known for.
Is depression glass the same as carnival glass?
Identification. Both carnival and depression glass are colored. However, carnival glass features an iridescent, multicolored look, whereas depression glass has more of a simple, single-colored, transparent look. Carnival glass was made to inexpensively mimic glass made by the Tiffany Company.
Is carnival glass made by Fenton?
Carnival glass was produced in large quantities in the US by the Fenton, Northwood, Imperial, Millersburg, Westmoreland (also began producing in 1908), Dugan/Diamond, Cambridge, and U.S. Glass companies as well as many smaller manufacturers.
Do bubbles in glass mean it’s old?
Bubble: a bubble is a air bubble that became trapped in the glass during the manufacturing process. Bubbles are not considered damage. In fact, bubbles usually add to the appeal of old glass. See example of bubbles in an old snuff bottle.
What is blue glass worth?
Moderately priced vintage selections in cobalt blue vary widely in variety and price. You can still find a single Chevron milk pitcher or violin-shaped bottle in this color for well under 30 dollars. Authentic Shirley Temple pieces from the Depression era can still be found for under 50 dollars apiece.
What is glass with bubbles in it called?
The Italian name for the kind of glass with random bubbles is “pulegoso“. Single bubbles may be pushed into molten glass with a spike, making an internal sphere which looks silvered when the glass cools.
Can you still buy Fenton Glass?
In 2011, the company closed its glassmaking facility. Since its closing, Fenton glass molds are being used by another glassmaker in Ohio to produce “Fenton” stamped products and collectibles, which continue to be sold in the Fenton Gift Shop in Williamstown, West Virginia.