Topic: Whitefriars 9515 cased in uranium glass. Id confirmation please.

[Littleblackhen]

I found a ruby Whitefriars 9515 in a charity shop - pretty standard stuff, I have had a few before.  The ruby looked a bit murkier than usual with a greenish tinge, so on a whim I shone a black light on it, and was surprised when it glowed bright green!  It has been cased in uranium glass.  I haven't ever seen this on a Whitefriars' piece before, so is it not Whitefriars, or did they sometimes case in uranium glass? 

[glassobsessed]

Do the dimensions match the catalogue?

Perhaps a high manganese content?

No answers only questions...

John

[Littleblackhen]

Yes, the dimensions are 5 1/2 inches across.  The height is 2 3/4 inches at one end and 3 inches at the other, so it is very slightly lopsided, but I have seen others the same before.  I have handled lots of these and would have sworn to it being a standard 9515, except for the green tinge.

[Lustrousstone]

It will be a lot of manganese not uranium. Possibly the sand quality was lower than normal

[Littleblackhen]

Thanks, I hadn't realised that Manganese glowed green too.  Is there any way of checking which it is?  I don't have a geiger counter to hand 

[Lustrousstone]

Manganese gives a much duller, sometimes yellowish glow. Try shining your light on clear stuff and you should get a feel for it. You also need to be close to get a manganese glow, whereas uranium usually works from several feet away. (PS when is the next antiques fair at Elsecar?)

[Littleblackhen]

I have tried shining the light on it from different distances, but as I only have a hand held torch it is difficult.  It glows from about 2 feet away but not from further.  It still looks green rather than yellow, but it is hard to tell definitively.  I will take it to my unit where I have a proper light set up. 

The next fair is on March 10th.  Do you sometimes get over to the fairs?  I missed the last one, but I hope to make the next one.

I have a black light set up in my unit now, with a display of uranium glass.  They don't seem to sell well though I get lots of compliments on the display - maybe people just don't want uranium glass.  There is a photo here of my antiques unit with the uranium glass display
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151233456125667&set=a.381108995666.166764.696510666&type=3&theater

[Lustrousstone]

I still go with the manganese. We might come twice a year. It's a bit of a trek over the Pennines: a nice trek though.