# Uranium Glass



## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

I figured this would be the right place to post this.

I've been collecting depression glass for a few years now. My wife's grandmother used to work in a glass factory during the great depression. We have a natural tie-in there for collecting. I don't go spend top dollar for it, rather I go to thrift stores and get it off the shelves. Most of the stuff I've bought, they didn't know what they had and it was on the regular shelves, not the glass cases.

There was green glass and then some yellow-green glass during the depression. This stuff was made with Uranium and glows under UV light. I've picked up a few pieces of this stuff over the years and just photographed it tonight. Take a peek if you like.










My Green Glass Collection










My Green Glass Collection under UV light. Any questions?


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## Up_Up_And_Away (Jul 19, 2008)

I've also heard it referred to as "Vaseline glass."


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## Copchick (Apr 10, 2012)

Bascombe - those pieces are so beautiful!


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

I found vaseline glass marbles on E-bay. By putting a UV led on the back they make great glowing eyes for my wolf. They weren't expensive either.


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

Up Up and Away, the yellow pieces are usually the ones referred to as the Vaseline Glass. They glow the brightest in my picture. Lots more uranium in those. Unfortunately for me, the vintage Vaseline glass I've been able to find has been too pricey for my budget, so my three pieces are reproductions. Still cool though. My green pieces are all vintage though.

Copchick, thanky.

Bone Dancer, that's a great idea. I've been using glow in the dark bouncy balls for that application, but they don't keep their charge over time. I'm heading to Ebay right now!


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

You have some great pieces there and isn't it fun to find a bargain when the people don't know what they have, heehee?


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## Evil Queen (Mar 8, 2008)

I love the leaf patterned plate. Do you shop with a portable UV light?


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

Absolutely Hairazor.

Evil Queen, the leaf patterned plate is called Pebble Leaf but also called Tree of Life and Twiggy. It was manufactured by the Indiana Glass company sometime between 1929 and 1936. I don't shop with a portable uv light, but I have one. I can usually recognize the particular shade of green that will fluoresce, so I don't bother with it. The Uranium green glass has a distinctive shade of green. So far I haven't had a miscue. The center handled tray was iffy, but it still fluoresced.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Do you keep them in a lead-lined room?

They're very striking.


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

Naw Roxy, but I have been thinking that a piece or two of it ought to end up in my wife's witches kitchen with a blacklight on them.

I have a few other pieces of the green, but currently they are stored and a pain to get to. The best stuff I have is in the picture though, at least I think the best stuff is in the picture...


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

That's got a lot of Halloween potential.........
I have a good sized collection of pink Mayfair handed down from my mother.


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

Beelce, I just found a pink Mayfair Open Rose pattern plate at the local thrift shop. On the regular shelf for a buck. Blows my mind the stuff they put in the "collectibles" cabinet and what they put on the shelves.

A pink Mayfair Open Rose cookie jar with lid was one of the first pieces I ever collected. Love the pattern.


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## wandererrob (Aug 8, 2007)

I have a good friend who has a particular soft spot for custard glass and has me on the lookout for her now. We found her a few pieces while on vacation in rural PA last summer. The antique shop actually pulled out a small blacklight and offered to let us use it. 

When I got home I modified two keychain LED flashlights, replacing the white LEDs with UV LEDs and gave her one. We have the other. Very compact, easy to check for fluorescence on the fly 

Now I want to acquire some pieces for the haunt


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

Those are very pretty. Are they safe to eat off of?


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

Wanderrob, that's a great idea for a cheap portable UV light. Personally, everytime I've tried to hack LED's, I've blown the light. I think it's something about putting too much juice through it.

Scareme, I think they are foodsafe, I know that a generation ago everyone was eating off of them. I don't use them for that because I wouldn't want them to get broken, being handled that much and all. I do have at least one other green plate and a cake plate in the green glass that is in storage right now. One of these days I'll pull out my whole collection and document it photographically. But not this day!


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## wandererrob (Aug 8, 2007)

I just used your typical cheapo convenience store keychain light. They're basically just an LED, a coin cell battery and a switch. All it took was a direct LED swap. Works like a charm


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

Thanks Wanderrob


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Stunning glassware!

Are they safe enough to collect large quantities of them? Does your skin tingle? Does your dog walk backwards?


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

I've always liked glowing in the dark, Lunatic!


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