No-one likes general adverts, and ours hadn't been updated for ages, so we're having a clear-out and a change round to make the new ones useful to you. These new adverts bring in a small amount to help pay for the board and keep it free for you to use, so please do use them whenever you can, Let our links help you find great books on glass or a new piece for your collection. Thank you for supporting the Board.

Author Topic: How can you identify green uranium glass (without UV light source)?  (Read 57468 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Adam

  • Glass Professional
  • Members
  • ***
  • Posts: 355
  • Sowerby 1949-56, Davidson 1956-61, Jobling 1961-72
Re: How can you identify green uranium glass (without UV light source)?
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2007, 09:37:41 PM »
A question has long puzzled me and here seems a good place to ask it.  Why is everyone so interested in whether or not a piece of glass contains uranium?  No one ever asks if a blue glass is just cobalt, or does it also have copper in it, for example.  Surely GMB members are sufficiently adult not to be bothered about radioactivity?  Is there some kudos and/or increased value in a uranium piece?

The last picture on the list, which Angela correctly identified as Sowerby (2505, I think) is an example of one where we made large numbers using chromium/iron but there would almost certainly be others, from a different era to mine, which also contained uranium.  So what?

Adam D.

Support the Glass Message Board by finding a book via book-seek.com


Offline Cathy B

  • Global Moderator
  • Members
  • *
  • Posts: 2772
  • Gender: Female
    • The Crown Crystal Glass Company of Australia
Re: How can you identify green uranium glass (without UV light source)?
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2007, 11:59:09 PM »
Adam, I think it's just that they display so beautifully under blacklight.

Support the Glass Message Board by finding glass through glass-seek.com


Offline Angela B

  • Administrator
  • Members
  • ***
  • Posts: 698
  • Gender: Female
  • Author & Researcher
    • glass (all) cats (all) bridge
    • New Zealand and UK
    • The Glass Encyclopedia
Re: How can you identify green uranium glass (without UV light source)?
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2007, 12:13:41 AM »
When I had a museum of glass in the centre of Paihia a few years ago we had some recessed black-painted display boxes with UV lights (carefully shielded so the light didn't shine in anyone's eyes) and displayed uranium glass there. There were switches so you could change from UV light to ordinary light and see the difference. It did make quite a dramatic display and people did like it.
(Since I moved my collection to my studio I've set up the black boxes but haven't fitted the UV lights. So if any of you are coming to Paihia NZ and want to see this part of my collection, give me plenty of notice so I can get the lights fitted in time!).
From: Angela Bowey
Bimini Glass book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1090649789
Pirelli Glass book - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1484086309
New Zealand Glass book - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BT0ND3Q
London Lampworkers book - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BHRQS9W
Bagley Glass book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1544083882
Children's book about cats - https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B08CD46QY2

Support the Glass Message Board by finding a book via book-seek.com


Offline mrvaselineglass

  • Author
  • Members
  • ***
  • Posts: 515
    • http://www.vaselineglass.org
Re: How can you identify green uranium glass (without UV light source)?
« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2007, 02:22:29 AM »
RoynMargaret:
the reason people want to know if it has uranium is they don't want to get stuck with yellow glass that does not do tricks!!  people love the part that it does tricks, as it is such a big change from daylight to blacklight. 
Here is the kind you want:  look up ebay item # 130126461722   
It ships world wide, it is cheap, it works (i have several) and you can shine this little flashlight across the room and light up a piece of uranium glass!  it will also shine through well lit display cases in an antique shop and 'show the glow' where the tube fluorescent ones will not work (the light gets washed out from the lighting in the display case). 

IF you don't have a UV light source, take the piece out into bright, direct sunlight.  if it glows a bright green (or at least, looks a lot brighter than indoors) it has uranium in it.  it is catching UV rays from the sunlight.  if you have a digital camera, use the flash feature, and when you look at the picture, the uranium version will look brighter than the non-uranium green glass.

the UV LED is made to register a certain area on the light spectrum.  if it is not advertised as a UV, it will not do a thing.  LEDs are made for different purposes.

Dave Peterson
Mr. Vaseline Glass

p.s.  see my posting on 6/18: blue AND uranium glass!  for a photo under UV of a very special piece of uranium glass.

Support the Glass Message Board by finding glass through glass-seek.com


Offline RoynMargaret

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 85
    • Decorative  Collectables
Re: How can you identify green uranium glass (without UV light source)?
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2007, 08:06:15 AM »
Many thanks for that Dave. I am trying to buy the little torch but have had to e-mail seller about shipment to UK since his auto checkout rejects my (confirmed) address. It certainly looks the most workmanlike and best quality of all the varieties on offer and at about a fiver GBP incl. P&P, cheap enough, especially because I can use the same rechargeable AA batteries I use and have lots of :)

Meanwhile, what a super thread this is turning out to be.

I had a look at your lovely blue and uranium vase. Can you please tell me how you photographed the "green" version? i.e. was it in a completely black box, what size of UV lamp, what exposure (I assume automatic camera features will not work in blacklight) etc? I am still contemplating the 45cm (18-in) version linked in my earlier post.

Re:your comment about flash. I used flash for general glass photography but got unacceptable reflections and better results from natural light in a translucent white box - which is how all my OP pictures were taken. So, how should glass be staged if using flash?

If there is a link to a thread about photographing glass I shall be grateful.
We have changed our trading style and name to Decorative Collectables. Our prime glass activities may now be seen here:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Decorative-Collectables-UK?_rdc=1

Support the Glass Message Board by finding a book via book-seek.com


Offline mrvaselineglass

  • Author
  • Members
  • ***
  • Posts: 515
    • http://www.vaselineglass.org
Re: How can you identify green uranium glass (without UV light source)?
« Reply #15 on: June 19, 2007, 12:40:49 PM »
RoynMargaret:
the comment about using flash was just to see if there was uranium in the glass to 'tickle' the electrons (which is what makes it turn bright green).  As far as photographing glass, a tripod is a must.
Here is my very simple photo layout: 
http://www.vaselineglass.org/leftwall.jpg
it is black velvet on a shelf.  I put a big UV fluorescent strip above the piece of glass (hand held, about 20 inches long) and have the camera on a tripod.  I have a dark room.  I push the button.  that's it.  If the photo needs to be tweaked a bit, I do that on photoshop.  I don't use flash, I use regular room light.
Here is a photo that I did use flash, just to show the different effects a flash, room light, and blacklight has on a piece of uranium glass:
http://www.vaselineglass.org/webbtallbl1.jpg
You will notice that the flash makes the top opalescent rim show up with more clarity (the first thing I noticed when I took the picture).  But, if you look at the stem on this piece, you can see that the flash picture (especially down where it meets the brass base) is a brighter green.  This piece is almost clear glass in room light, and it was only due to that little bulbous knob at the base that I even decided to test it with a blacklight when I bought this piece.  It has been a favorite piece of mine ever since I got it.  both the flash and the blacklight photo was taken with a black velvet background.  the far right photo was done using a roll of duck cloth/sail cloth (light, white canvas, that I keep on a roll to keep it from wrinkling)

Mr. Vaseline Glass

Support the Glass Message Board by finding glass through glass-seek.com


Offline RoynMargaret

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 85
    • Decorative  Collectables
Re: How can you identify green uranium glass (without UV light source)?
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2007, 03:07:56 PM »
Thanks for all that. You are most generous to share your expertise. I am severely disabled and it may be some while before I get around to experimenting with UV lighting set ups, but, since it is my hobby, I think I will spend the money, get the kit, and post any results.
We have changed our trading style and name to Decorative Collectables. Our prime glass activities may now be seen here:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Decorative-Collectables-UK?_rdc=1

Support the Glass Message Board by finding a book via book-seek.com


 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk
Visit the Glass Encyclopedia
link to glass encyclopedia
Visit the Online Glass Museum
link to glass museum


This website is provided by Angela Bowey, PO Box 113, Paihia 0247, New Zealand