Home >> Collecting >> Antiques

How to Identify Amberina Bowl Vases

Amberina is a style of coloring glass that produces a gradual fading of colors. True Amberina starts with a brown- or amber-colored glass that gradually fades and is then tipped with a bright red color. The red color is produced by applying heat. Identifying Amberina is tricky at first, due to the large number of imitators who use paint and plating to achieve the same coloring. However, after carefully observing several key characteristics, identifying Amberina is quite easy.

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the color gradient on the glass vase to determine if it is an antique Amberina. The color should start out as a light amber color and lighten until it changes to a gold color. The edge of the vase should be a vibrant red color that overlaps the gold color. The color changes should be very gradual and almost indistinguishable. If the color changes are distinguishable, then the piece is not a true Amberina vase.
- 2
  Look for a yellow and orange color to determine if the Amberina is a more modern creation. In modern Amberina glass, the color starts out as a dark yellow and gradually fades out. The glass is then topped by a burnt orange color at the end rather than red.
- 3
  Look at the edge of the glass vase to examine the thickness of the glass. If the glass is thick, it is a modern Amberina. If the glass is thinner, then it is an antique Amberina.
- 4
  Inspect the red color at the edge of the glass carefully to look for where it ends. If you can identify where it ends, this indicates that the color was applied as a plating on top of the glass. True Amberina will have no edge, as the color is consistent throughout the glass. The red color should be on both the inside and outside of the glass vase.
- 5
  Look for scratches in the red or orange portions of the vase. The coloring of true Amberina does not scratch off. Thus, if scratches are apparent, then the vase is not an Amberina.

Antiques