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A Few Words on Vaseline Glass
A FEW WORDS ON VASELINE GLASS
by Mark Kessler
What is vaseline glass? Vaseline glass is crystal glass, to which uranium oxide has been added. Amounts may vary from 1/2% up to as much as 2%. True, straw yellow vaseline has 2%. Lesser amounts yield different colors and intensity, i.e. lime green.
Most major glasshouses produced vaseline, including Fenton, Millersburg, Northwood and Imperial. Of these, Fenton was by far, the largest producer. Imperial produced very little, true yellow vaseline. But did produce fair amounts of lime green. Mainly in the Imperial Rose and Ripple patterns. All true vaseline will flouresce in blacklight and this is the best way to identify it.
Vaseline glass can be found in both, iridized and non-iridized glass. The iridized pieces are far less common and will command much better prices than pieces without iridescence.
Production of vaseline began in the last part of the 19th century and continues to be made today! Entire collections can be assembled solely with vaseline glass and when displayed in blacklight, can really be quite impressive.
Production of early vaseline glass stopped entirely in the mid to late 1930s, and really did not begin again until the 1970s. Many people believe that the great depression caused production to stop in the 1930s. History, however, has revealed, that in fact, the U.S. Government and its Manhattan Project actually caused the halt in production. Uranium in all its forms was strictly controlled at this time. Personally, I think, they would have been better off making vaseline glass than atom bombs!
Vaseline glass is fairly available in todays market, however, the true, bright yellow pieces are very scarce.
Below are picture examples of a vaseline Imperial Lustre Rose bowl glowing under a blacklight.
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Happy Hunting!
Mark
A Few Words on Vaseline Glass · A Lesson in Toxic Issues · A Personal Reflection into Fenton Past · America the Beautiful · Beginners Journey · Brocaded Roses by Central Glass · Don Grizzle and His NW Jardiniere · Famous Last Words · Fenton Dragon & Lotus · Fishscale & Beads · Frank M. Fenton · Grapevine Lattice · In Memory Of George Loescher · Lattice & Points/Vining Twigs · My First True Love ~aka~ Cosmos & Cane · My First Days of Carnival Glass Collecting · Popularity VS. Actual Rarity · The Different Millersburg Peacock Molds · The Myths and Mysteries of Straw Marks · The Stuff We Prize is Just on Loan · Thoughts From Fay · What A Message · Wholesale vs. Retail
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