Author Topic: Carnival glass - Imperial rococo - vaseline or smoke? (Read 5394 times)

josordoni · « **on:** September 14, 2006, 03:53:56 PM »

Does the smoke colour in Imperial's Rococo small comports/nut bowls fluoresce? my little nut bowl glows very green at the uncoated base, but I don't know whether this means it is classified as vaseline or whether all smoke glows.

here it is
Imperial Nut Bowl

any help gratefully received....

Glen · « **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2006, 04:45:25 PM »

I haven't noticed any of Imperial's smoke Carnival glowing under UV light. I just checked my smoke Acanthus plate and it doesn't glow. If the glow is a real vaseline glow (any chance of a glowee pic?) then my only suggestion would be that you have vaseline glass with a smoke iridescence.

Imperial did make some vaseline Carnival, but it usually has a marigold iridescence. Their helios green sometimes glows too.

Best question I could ask you is to find a part of the glass without iridescence and look at the base colour. What colour is it?

Beautiful piece, by the way!

Glen

josordoni · « **Reply #2 on:** September 14, 2006, 06:19:34 PM »

I am usually useless at taking blacklight photos, my little light doesn't seem to like being photo'd...

But now it is getting dark, so I'll have a go.

I was expecting it NOT to glow, but I was just looking at any bit of glass that came to hand to see how much darkness I needed to make the light work (more than I thought in fact :cry: ) and this bit came to hand...

as bits of glass do.

It has a little wee chip to the foot rim, but apart from that it is in lovely condition.

Lustrousstone · « **Reply #3 on:** September 14, 2006, 06:57:49 PM »

If you need more dark than you thought to make the light work, you're probably not seeing uranium glow. It's more likely to be the dull glow from manganese. If its one of those weedy torpedo shaped lights you might have to hold it closer than you think but you should still have a spot of bright green glow under dull daylight or even tungsten light. To me the colour of the base on the nut bowl looks to be clear flint, in which case it contains manganese to decolorize it rather than uranium to colour it. I really must get the OH to help me take a reference photo.

josordoni · « **Reply #4 on:** September 14, 2006, 07:12:07 PM »

I think you are right Christine, I can't get a clear picture at all, and I would expect in a pitch dark conservatory to be able to get more than I have got. To be fair, my little light (one of those pocket fluorescent tube thingies) needs to be right up close, and at the right angle, and then the camera doesn;t want to focus in the dark without a flash... and.... and....

basically the picture is rubbish. But here it is for what it is worth...

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3306

The green bit actually is all over the foot, but I can only get the camera to catch one tiny bit. It is really rather pathetic.

Lustrousstone · « **Reply #5 on:** September 14, 2006, 07:23:52 PM »

IMHO I would say manganese glow. You've got enough light to get glow but it's just not right. Him indoors concurs. It's a lovely bowl, would fit nicely in my other collection

, even f the uranium bits refused to play with it.

josordoni · « **Reply #6 on:** September 14, 2006, 07:33:15 PM »

Will it make enough difference to the price to bother to mention it in the listing? Or am I being hopeful here :lol:

Lustrousstone · « **Reply #7 on:** September 15, 2006, 06:52:26 AM »

No difference whatsoever. Manganese was used as a decolorizer in all sorts of glass till it was superseded by other compounds when it became too expensive. It can be used an an indicator that a piece of glass is older rather than newer - no guarantee though. Try your light on a piece of clear flint glass that you know is old - in the dark is best - and you may see the same green glow.

When selling glass, IMHO, its important to know the difference in U and non-U glowing. It can lead to disgruntled customers. I got caught the other week. The picture said possibly, the write-up said it glowed, so I bought it but it isn't uranium glass. There is the faintest glow in the dark with my best UV light - which means a small amount of manganese

josordoni · « **Reply #8 on:** September 15, 2006, 07:11:12 AM »

Thank you so much Christine. It is very easy for a glass novice (like myself, I admit) to make assumptions.... you read something, and then rush around trying to fit what you have just learnt to what you have.

I DO have some definitely vaseline stuff tucked away in a box somewhere :roll: so I will have to sort it out and check them to compare the colours.

At least now I know what manganese glow looks like.

Sort of weedy....

:lol:

Glen · « **Reply #9 on:** September 15, 2006, 08:02:42 AM »

My advice has always been that if you need to ask about the glow, then it probably isn't vaseline. The "in your face" transparent green glow of vaseline glass is usually enough to make you sure. But with Carnival Glass it really is a little more difficult. Sometimes a very heavy marigold iridescence can interfere - and it's important to find a part of the piece where there is no iridescence - and then you'll discover the vivid glow of the vaseline base glass.

Actually old, Classic, vaseline Carnival is fairly scarce - and usually is found with marigold iridescence (there are some exceptions). However there are plenty of modern items (usually novelty shapes).

If you're interested in a piece we wrote a few years ago, it's here.
http://www.carnivalglass.org/newbies/10.asp

Glen