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Types of UV Reactive Glass
Uranium Glass
Uranium Glass
Uranium glass has a hallmark green color, that can sometimes have a blue tint as well. Uranium glass shold glow flouresant green under both 395nm and 365nm uv light.
Josef Reidel is credited with inventing uranium glass in 1830, as it was originally used as a means to achieve unique bright green and yellow colored glass. Commercial uranium glass production was prohibited in 1943 by the US government to prioritize nuclear weapons production during and after WWII. As of 1959 uranium glass production was again legal, however in very low volume due to high costs of uranium oxide and other trends coming into the glass market. This makes uranium glass not only historically interesting but also truly unique and limited, with some pieces being very rare and valuable.
Some express concern over the radioactive properties of the uranium glass, however it is generally considered no more dangerous than the radiation given off by TVs or microwaves. As a precaution, it is not recommended to use uranium glass to store food/liquid for an extended period, as the contents will accumilate the low does of radiation over time.
Vaseline GlassV
Vaseline glass possesses many of the same attributes at uranium glass, however with one clear distincion that it is yellow or pale yellow, as compared to its green uranium counterpart. The glass shares its name with the well known petroluem jelly product "Vaseline", due to the sheen or hue that vaseline glass shares with the jelly.
Cadmium glass
Cadmium glass glows yellow, pink, orange, or red under UV light
amberina glass
Amberina glass was first produced in Cambridge, Massachusetts under patent at the New England Glass Company from 1883. This glass ranges from yellow to red, with glass pieces oftentimes featuring the distinctive yellow fading into red appearance. The change in yellow to red color is achieved by reheating part of the glass a second time before cooling. Amberina glass tends to glow orange-yellow in UV light, however it tends to be mostly on the surface, whereas uranium glass glows from within.
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Custard Glass
Custard Glass
Original custard glass was made in England about 1880, and was predominantly used in mugs and various novelities such as toothpick holders. This glass was popular until round 1908, becoming less common after 1915. Cutard glass uses uranium and/or suplur to achieve its unique hue, which also gives it the UV light reactivity.
NEODYMIUM/ALEXANDERITE
Burmese glass was developed by Frederick Shirley at the Mt. Washington Glass Works in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1885. It is a two-toned glass, shading from pink/peach to yellow. Similar to amberina glass, the pink/peach hue is achieved by a small amount of gold that is added and then reheating the custard glass a second time before fully cooling. Uranum gives this glass the characteristic green glow.
MANGANESE GLASS
From 1885 to 1914, manganese dioxide was used as a clearing agent by glass makers to make sure the glass remained clear. However, when exposed to the sun over time, the manganese dioxide in the glass will cause the glass to turn a purple tint. If you apply enough 365nm uv lght, this glass will grow green and can appear to look like urnaium glass. I see more and more people misclassifying this clear-to-green glowing glass as uranium, either out of ignrance or to try to try to boost the value of their glassware. For these reasons I've started to refer to this as "Fool's Gold Uranium" as a buyer would likely be disappointed to see very little glow effect with the much more common 395nm uv lights rather than 365nm which are more expensive.
Selenium Glass
Selenium compounds confer a red color to glass. Depening on the type of Selenium used and the concentration, this can result in pink transparent glass or ruby-colored glass. Selenium glows a pale pink or orange under UV light.
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OTHER TYPES OF GLASS
CARNIVAL GLASS
Cooming Soon
BURMESE CUSTARD GLASS
Coming Soon