Why Is Antique Glass Yellow?
It is easy to assume that just like a well loved book, antique glass acquires a yellow patina over time. On the contrary, yellow was often the intended color at the time of production. Several processes were used to produce yellow glass.
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Uses
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Yellow glass is found in costume jewelry, tableware and lighting. Glass beads can be differentiated from plastic or semi-precious gems by feel, as glass is noticeably colder to the touch.
Vaseline Glass
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Under black light, the glass does not appear to be green. Colloquially referred to as Vaseline glass for its slightly transparent quality, yellow glass with a slight green cast contains two percent uranium dioxide. The uranium fluoresces green when exposed to black light. Vaseline glass appears darker in photos when a flash is used.
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Amber Glass
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Amber glass ranges from bottle brown to a light caramel yellow. Yellow glass with a brown rather than green undertone is commonly referred to as amber glass. This color is created by combining one percent silica from fly ash with a soda-lime mixture. Hues range from bottle brown to caramel yellow.
Obsolescence
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Uranium was used in the war effort. Production of Vaseline glass was curtailed in the 1940s when uranium use was relegated to the war effort.
Safety
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Some people are cautious about Vaseline glass. In 1959, production continued, as depleted uranium replaced active uranium. While there are publicly perceived health concerns concerning uranium-leaching, amber glass possesses no toxicity.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Renee Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Stuart Caie Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Christian Senger Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of The U.S. Army Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kyle Simourd
