Green Uranium Glass
Green uranium glass pieces glow intensely under ultraviolet light, offering striking Victorian and Art Deco table forms that collectors prize.
Green Uranium Glass
Green uranium glass comprises decorative objects created from the nineteenth century into the twentieth century, encompassing periods from the Victorian era through Art Nouveau and Art Deco. These items serve both ornamental and functional purposes, featuring prominently in domestic settings as centrepieces, vases, and tableware.
The assortment on this page predominantly includes Victorian and Edwardian examples alongside pieces from the 1930s, reflecting shifts in design from ornate floral epergnes to streamlined geometric clocks. Common forms include multi-trumpet epergnes, apothecary jars, posy vases, wine glasses, and silver-plated bowls.
Geographic origins span England, France, and Bohemia, demonstrating how diverse European makers utilised uranium oxide to achieve distinctive yellow-green and vaseline hues. Buyers seeking authentic period items will encounter both standalone glassware and pieces mounted in silver plate, brass, or bronze.
Materials and Manufacture
Makers added small amounts of uranium dioxide to the molten glass batch, which imparted a characteristic fluorescent green or yellow tint visible under natural and ultraviolet light. Artisans shaped these glowing materials using traditional techniques such as hand blowing, moulding, and free-form manipulation.
Many glass components were integrated into metal mounts, utilising silver plate, brass, bronze, or chrome to create complex decorative objects like epergnes, clocks, and centrepieces. Additional embellishments involved surface enamel, opaline layers, and combinations with contrasting pink or cranberry glass bases.
Green Uranium Glass Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for green uranium glass among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Listings feature periods spanning from the early nineteenth century through the Art Deco era of 1930, using materials like bronze, brass, and silver plate.
Assessing Quality and Execution
Quality in these objects rests upon the complexity of the glassblowing and the integration of metalwork mounts, distinguishing simple pressed vessels from finely hand-blown or cased pieces. Superior examples demonstrate crisp moulding, balanced proportions, and careful application of silver-plated or bronze hardware.
The artistic ambition of the design dictates much of the distinction, separating standard utility ware from sophisticated pieces styled in distinct periods like Art Nouveau or Art Deco. Maker attribution, such as signed work or documented Bohemian and European workshop output, elevates the standing of individual items.
Whitefriars·Moser·Karl Palda
The Green Uranium Glass Glossary
- Uranium Glass
- Glass containing uranium oxide added as a colourant, notable for its bright green or yellow fluorescence under ultraviolet light. This material was widely utilised across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries for decorative and utilitarian objects.
- Vaseline Glass
- A specific type of yellow-green uranium glass that resembles the appearance of petroleum jelly. It forms a subset of green uranium glass highly sought after by collectors.
- Epergne
- An elaborate table centrepiece featuring a central bowl with multiple detachable trumpets or hanging baskets. Victorian examples frequently combine vaseline glass trumpets with silver plate or bronze frames.
- Posy Vase
- A small vessel designed to hold a short bunch of flowers, often configured for tabletop display. These pieces appear in various Victorian and Edwardian silver-plated mounts.
Green Uranium Glass: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I test for uranium glass?
Authentic pieces contain uranium oxide that reacts under an ultraviolet light source, emitting a vivid green glow.
Natural light reveals a characteristic transparent yellow-green or vaseline tint, though ultraviolet testing remains the definitive method for identification.
Are these pieces safe to use?
The uranium is trapped securely within the glass matrix during the melting process, making standard handling safe for display.
Collectors typically use these items for decorative presentation rather than regular food service.
How do I date a Victorian epergne?
Nineteenth-century epergnes often feature hand-blown trumpet forms paired with ornate silver plate or bronze bases characteristic of the period.
Examining the construction of the metal mounts and the assembly techniques helps differentiate Victorian work from later twentieth-century reproductions.
What is the difference between vaseline and uranium glass?
Vaseline glass is a specific transparent or translucent variety of uranium glass distinguished by its yellowish-green colour.
All vaseline glass is uranium glass, but not all uranium glass exhibits the characteristic vaseline hue.