It seems somewhat contradictory to mention the word Antique in a statement which also refers to the Atomic Age. However, the truth is that the manufacture of Uranium Glass finds its origin in the early 19th century and, consequently, early pieces deserve to be classified as 'Antique', being more than a hundred years old.

This decorative and colourful yellowish-green glass was the discovery of Josef Reidel, sometime in the early 19th century, in the period 1830 to 1848, in his factory in Bohemia, who named it after his wife Anna; the yellow/green glass was called Annagruen and the yellow glass, Annagelb. The glowing, fluorescent effect was achieved through the introduction of Uranium into the process before melting the 'metal' in order to create the colours, with the brightness of the glow depending on the Uranium content. Such was the fascination with the product, its' popularity spread throughout Europe in the late 19th century, with even factories such as Baccarat developing it and experimenting with heat-sensitive chemicals in order to create a milky white colour, when the glass item was heated, being referred to as Vaseline Glass.

The London based 'Whitefriars' glass company was one of the first manufacturers, c.1880, and was highly successful in increasing its' popularity. Unfortunately, during the mid 20th century, the decline in the availability of Uranium, from 1942 to 1958 led to much less production. In the United States of America, the government confiscated Uranium supplies for use in the Manhattan Project, which was commissioned to develop nuclear weapons; this led to the end of the production of Uranium Glass in America.

Uranium Glass pieces may be purchased for a few pounds, although rarer items can command higher prices, in the hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Occasionally, concern has been expressed, with regard to the radioactive content, most glass contains no more than 2% Uranium, although certain pieces may contain as much as 25%.

It is worth mentioning that not all yellow/greenish-yellow glass is Uranium glass, and the would-be collector would be assisted by the use of a small UV light when searching for finds, in order to detect the tell-tale 'glow'. To some glass collectors, its' often 'clumpy' look and feel may be off-putting, although, to our mind, it makes a worthy inclusion in any collection of Antique or Vintage Glass, with the curious fluorescent effect of it, when appropriately displayed, making up, somewhat, for the decorative or fine presentation.

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