Antique Glassware Identification Tips & What to Look For | LoveToKnow (2024)

Antique glass feels different from its modern counterpart. It's often heavier. By looking carefully, you can also see some clues that a glass item may be 100 years old or more:

• Pontil marks - Blown glass, as opposed to molded glass, usually has a pontil mark on the bottom. This has a circular shape.
• Bubbles and irregularities - Many antique glass pieces have tiny bubbles or other imperfections in the glass. You may have to look very closely to see these.
• Patina - Older glass usually has a patina of time and use. There may be tiny flakes, missing gilt areas, or small chip and scratches.

Before you begin to research the pattern of your glassware and other details, take a moment to determine whether you have antique glass or vintage crystal glassware. Technically, crystal is a type of glass that's formed with lead oxide, leading to more sparkle, weight, and shine. There are a few easy ways to tell whether your antique piece is glass or crystal:

• Tap it gently. If it makes a chime like a bell, it is probably crystal.
• Examine the cuts or patterns. If they are very sharp and fine, it may be crystal.
• Hold it up to a window or light fixture. If it creates a prism effect, it is likely crystal.

Antique glassware can take many forms, some very surprising. You'll see everything from vases and plates to flower frogs, huge punch bowls, and footed compotes. There's endless variation, and it can be fun to collect one type of item in different styles, colors, and patterns. These are just a few of the types of antique glassware you may see in antique shops:

• Depression glass - Popular during the Great Depression, this type of glass comes in lots of different colors, including pink, green, clear, amber, blue, and many others.
• Milk glass - Milk glass is opaque, and its classic shade is white. You'll also see it in blue, pink, and other colors.
• Carnival glass - Originally given away as prizes at carnivals starting in the early 1900s, you'll also see this collectible glassware from the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
• Art glass - Consisting of one-of-a-kind pieces made by artisans, this type of glassware can be very valuable if you can identify the artist.

There are dozens of antique and vintage glass companies that you'll encounter if you look at antique glassware in stores or online. These are a few of the most popular:

• Fenton - Founded in 1905, this company was famous for colored glass and quality vintage pieces. Most are marked with a stylized "F" and the company name.
• Hazel-Atlas - Starting in 1902, this manufacturer specialized in machine-molded glass, especially colored Depression glass. Their mark is an "A" under an "H."
• Westmoreland - Specializing in milk glass, hand-decorated glass, and carnival glass, Westmoreland created beautiful pieces for nearly a century starting in 1889. They used a mark that looked like a "W" in a frame for early pieces and an overlapping "W" and "G" for later ones.

Vintage and antique glassware comes in an entire rainbow of colors, making it even more fun to collect. You can collect a specific type of item in every color or collect a whole set in a certain shade. Either way, it's interesting to know about the many color options and how they are made. These are a few of the most popular:

• Cranberry - Made by including gold oxide in the glassmaking process, this red glass in valuable and beautiful.
• Cobalt - A deep blue color, this glass is created by adding cobalt salts to the molten glass.
• Jadeite - A pale green shade, jadeite often includes uranium.
• Amber - The addition of sulfur to the glass gives it a golden hue.

If you can identify the pattern and color of your glassware, you can also get a sense of its age. Manufacturers usually only created a pattern for a certain number of years. If you know a pattern was made in the 1920s through the 1940s, for example, then you know your glass item dates from this era. Pyrex bowls with vintage patterns are fairly easy to identify and date.

If you don't know the pattern, you can also use stylistic details to get a sense of the age. For instance, a piece of Art Deco glass with geometric designs probably dates to the 1930s or 1940s.

Some piece of antique glass are worth only a few dollars, and others can be worth hundreds. The value of antique glassware depends on several factors:

• Rarity - If there were lots of pieces made in a pattern or color, it's usually less valuable. However, if it's rare, it may be worth money to collectors.
• Condition - A piece with chips, cracks, discoloration, and other damage is worth less than a similar piece in perfect condition.
• Beauty - Although it's subjective, an especially beautiful piece is usually worth more than a less attractive one.

Because rarity is such a significant factor in value, it's good to be on the lookout for pieces that are rare. Look for items with these characteristics:

• Unusual color - Certain shades are more common than others, such as clear, white, pink, and green. If you've never seen a piece in a color, there's a good chance it could be rare and valuable.
• Bi-color - If one piece of glass contains two colors, it can be more valuable than a single shade. This isn't always the case, but it's worth looking into if you have a bi-colored piece of glass.
• Uncommon shape - A piece that doesn't look like anything you've seen before is likely to be rare. Strange handle shapes, unusual items, and other oddities can indicate something valuable.
• Signatures - Art glass is sometimes signed by the artist. A signature can indicate a rare or even unique item.