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How to Look for Antique Vaseline Glass

Vaseline glass, also known as uranium glass, was manufactured circa the 1830s through the Great Depression. Uranium salts were used to produce glass with a translucent yellow-green color resembling petroleum jelly. A few companies still produce limited quantities of this type of glass.

The term "Vaseline glass" came into use during the 1950s for this particular type and color of Depression-era glassware. Antique Vaseline glass is identifiable using a combination of tools, including a UV light (also known as a black light) and a Geiger counter. These methods, combined with knowledge of the manufacturers and styles, help to identify antique Vaseline glass.

Things You'll Need

UV light
Geiger counter

Instructions

- 1
  Review books and online resources to familiarize yourself with the manufacturers and types of glassware produced as antique Vaseline glass. The library is a useful place to access both books and websites on antique collecting.
- 2
  Locate an antique shop or dealer that sells antique glass and visit the shop to browse the selection.
- 3
  Use the UV light to help verify that the glass is antique Vaseline glass. Most antique Vaseline glass glows green when exposed to UV light because of the uranium used in its production.
- 4
  Verify the presence of uranium in the antique Vaseline glass using the Geiger counter---the presence of uranium triggers the radioactivity detector in the Geiger counter, usually by an increase in the "counts per minute."

Antiques