Using a black light to...?

I recently unearthed my handy black light and have started looking at some things with it, although I'm not yet sure how to interpret what I'm seeing. I've known in the past that it's useful for detecting cracks or repairs on ceramics and for finding, er, pet stains on carpets etc (ok, that was originally why I had a black light).

But now I'm curious about how various glasses respond. I have a few recently acquired pieces that seem to glow nicely under the UV - and while I know that green vaseline glass should (right?), I didn't know that clear glass will.

So what does it mean when clear glass glows? I'm going to try to take some photos, but it might be tricky.

it is usually indicative of 'flint glass'. Glass that glows orange has manganese used in the making process. Vaseline glass glows green, it can be green, yellow or a yellowish brown and still glow green indicating the presence of uranium. Some blue glass also glows green and is called by some collectors 'blunique' but, is not considered 'true vaseline' to hard core collectors.

But it sure looks cool!!

I have not had any that bright...then again I do not think I have but 2 or 3 pieces of clear glass out of the many, many I have.....and mine are at a minimum of 60 years old.

it was fun. But I only found 3 pieces of glass that glow green, and all 3 are blue glass. It's much harder to get a good photo because it's relatively faint compared to the UV - I'll have to adjust how I position the source.

Well another fun learning experience :D

Here is a quick shot of some of my vaseline glass with a black light behind it....sorry for the sucky pic but I am NO photographer...:o



One of my more prized pieces (sorry had the camera set at sepia - I blame my daughter ;) so it doesn't do the piece justice)

It is a vaseline glass Saturn Lamp from the 1939? World's Fair....In perfect and working condition...this piece glows like it is on fire!!!



there is also a Cambridge Glass cocktail shaker, and a depression glass pitcher (I have the matching glasses - pristine out of a Pennsylvania estate - where my dining set (10 piece) came from)

Very striking - I bet you don't even need a dark room to see the real stuff glow. I think I may have to start bringing my UV lamp with me... that should be fun.

Love the Saturn lamp! Would love to see a photo of it glowing if/when you take one! :hi:

with the black light on as a night light to see at night - we have a rambling old country house.

I will try to get a pic of the Saturn Lamp in the next day or so (daughter has camera at our beach house right now, she is supposed to be back home tomorrow).

You can buy the small keychain black light LEDs that are super handy when thrifting and junking.