posted on September 9, 2001 12:38:25 PM
Hi all, have four peices of glass that I just put under black light and they fluerece like the devil. Which is what I thought vaseline glass does.
--they are green glass. One is an ice bucket, one is a flower arranger, one is a US Glass reamer and cup and one is an old hocking glass coaster that you put under furniture.
I am almost postive that the reamer with cup and coaster are just good old depression glass, so why are they glowing?
Totally mystified by this black light test. Went on search and see that some calling yellow glass that glows green under black light is vaseline. Then others are saying that green glass that glows is vaseline.
Help! Any comments or websites that can clear up this quandray? Thanks!
posted on September 9, 2001 01:09:14 PM
Vaseline glass can be yellow or green...if it has uranium salts in the formula it will
fluoresce...therefore it is considered vaseline glass either victorian, depression or whatever other descriptive phrases you choose to use.
I have sold any number of elegant glasswear pieces of the depression, primarily by Cambridge glass in both yellow and green.
posted on September 9, 2001 01:51:05 PM
Thanks Zilvy for your comments and Kiara for your link!
One of the most interesting statements from the site:
"The yellow-green glass did not sell as well as other colors of glass, so during the depression years, glass manufacturers started adding more iron oxide (commonly known as RUST) to the glass mixture (but still included the Uranium Dioxide) and this had the effect of making the glass more green. Because of this, most green depression glass will glow some, though usually not as bright as the yellow-green variety. The government confiscated all supplies of uranium during WWII and halted all production of Vaseline Glass."
Ah ha! But still the quandray--can I list as vaseline in good conscience when I know it is depression green glass? Don't want to mislead or misrepresent.
posted on September 9, 2001 02:29:01 PM
Jeanyu..if it has uranium it is vaseline, so you are ok describing it as vaseline but I would also give an era date so the buyer knows when the item was made. List the depression items in the correct category (depression) and include the word "vaseline" in the title.
You have then given the buyer all the information he needs to make an informed decision as to the item's value (including your description of condition, size, pattern, etc)
posted on September 9, 2001 02:52:06 PM
Dear Amy, thank you! Your explanation makes me feel much better and will follow your guidelines.
It just seemed to me that vaseline glass has been really loosely used as a term on eBay. Personally always felt that this was a turn of the century or early century glass--and to see so many using the term Vaseline--made me want to do my home work.
Know there is an interest in Vaseline, but did not want to mislead. Again, thanks to all. Off to list!
