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Differences Between Old and New Cut Glass

American cut glass collectors cannot use just a single characteristic of an item to determine whether it is old or new. Rather, the collector should consider five characteristics of the piece: the blank, the condition, cutting wheel marks and polishing, the signature and fluorescence. Cut glass items made during the American Brilliant Period (1876 to 1917) exhibit quite different characteristics from modern glass, which some dealers may present as authentic antique glass.
  1. The Blank

    • During the American Brilliant Period, glass workers made glass blanks by hand, using techniques such as blowing and rolling to form the base for each piece. Old blanks exhibit greater clarity than new ones. Looking at an item from the side often reveals that newer pieces appear thicker or thinner than an authentic old piece in the same pattern. New blanks may also differ in shape from older ones.

    Condition

    • Few glass items have survived the 10 to 12 decades since the American Brilliant Period without collecting some signs of wear. The collector should look carefully for nicks, chips, scratches, abrasions and other signs of wear on both the bottom of the piece and the inside surface. Pieces that are pristine with no marks of wear may be new.

    Cutting and Polishing

    • During the American Brilliant Period, glass cutters used cutting wheels of stone or carborundum. Current glass cutters often use diamond wheels. The wheels leave different track lines in the glass. Diamond wheels make solid parallel striations. The polishing method also differs. American Brilliant Period cutters used pumice and felt, followed by wheel polishing. Some used an acid polish. Modern producers usually use acid polishing.

    Signature

    • While many American Brilliant Period items were not signed by their makers, those that were signed usually exhibit a clear acid-mark signature. Modern signed pieces often show an unclear or smudged signature. Collectors have found some new items with signatures from companies that do not match the pattern of the piece, according to Gerry LaCroix's article on the American Cut Glass Association website.

    Fluorescence

    • Exposing cut glass from the American Brilliant Period to black light in a dark room will cause most of it to fluoresce some shade of lime-green or lime-yellow, due to older techniques to decolorize glass. The exact color can vary from an apple-green to just a hint of color. Modern glass usually fluoresces a purple or pink color when exposed to black light.

    Other Considerations

    • While the provenance of an item can give the collector important information about the history and age of the item, such information can be faked. The collector should not rely heavily on such material, The collector should consult lists of proven fakes, such as LaCroix's list, before buying an expensive piece of cut glass.


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