Peering through the glass doors of the cherry hutch, you might never know that the carefully displayed teacups and vases held a secret. The flip of a switch, turning on a discreetly hidden ultra-violet blacklight, suddenly reveals the truth. Every item of glass proudly glows with an eerie green hue. It's uranium glass, and suddenly you understand why so many people collect it. The magic of it is nearly irresistible. 

Glassworker Josef Riedel is credited with developing uranium glass with production dating to the beginning of the 1830's. Pieces from his company being some of the earliest and rarest. The earliest hues were canary yellows, with apple green hues developed in later years. It wasn't long before the well-known Baccarat crystal company in France was incorporating uranium in glass for their customers.  By this time, the Industrial Revolution was long underway, and mass production made it possible for a wide variety of plates, bowls, vases and more to find their way to homes. As factories began to manufacture pressed glass, the fervor for uranium glass spread through England and the United States. Its popularity continued to increase, peaking during the 1880's Victorian Era and continuing through the Jazz Age of the Roaring Twenties.

The availability of these beautiful pieces carried along until WWII, when production came to a screeching halt when both the US and UK governments restricted access to uranium for military reasons. War and regulations weren’t enough to end our love affair with this “magic” glass. By the mid-1950's restrictions began to lift, and several companies began to revive the technique, including Boyd and Fenton Art Glass. 

Limited availability of modern pieces, and the ever-declining amount of vintage and antique pieces, has made collecting uranium glass a thrill inducing search. Rare pieces such as fish bowls, rhinestone jewelry, and toothbrush holders of uranium glass are just as loved as the wide variety of table settings, vases, and lamps. All of it becoming increasingly scarce over the years.

Stunning display cabinets full of glowing glass do not just happen on their own. Each piece is a chapter in the story of the collector’s life; a piece found at a flea market visit with mom, a handful of items gifted from a grandmother, a scarce piece found and won at auction... And with a flip of a switch, these collections bring awe and delight to grandchildren and friends alike. It's glassware with a secret, revealed like magic with a simple ultra-violet light.