
above: Jade Glass by
Joblings of Sunderland
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Jade Glass: A short explanation
Jade glass is an opaque green glass which is intended to look like jade. Sometimes this kind of glass is called jade-ite and sometimes clambroth. Some very beautiful art glass pieces have been produced in jade glass, with each glassworks having its own characteristic shades of green. Indeed, Frederick Carder even developed a complex three layered amethyst glass that he termed "Plum Jade Glass".
The art deco figurine on the left was made by James A Jobling and Co, in Sunderland, England in the 1930's. Their jade glass has a slight translucence, and went by the technical name "uranium moonstone glass" in the glassworks. It contained 0.34% uranium trioxide, which gave the glass its green colouring. Jobling's jade glass was more expensive to produce than the coloured art glass which they made briefly in the 1930's. It was sold at the same higher prices as were applied to their opalescent glass, and was made in most of the same designs.
Frederick Carder produced pieces in the 1930's in a rich emerald green that he called "Jade Green". Davidson's of Gateshead, England, offered "jade glass" as well as "cloud glass" and coloured glass in almost all their 1930's shapes. Their "jade green" was a fairly dark quite easily recognisable shade.
Opaque green glass which we now call "Jade glass" has been made for over 150 years. The Baccarat factory in France produced a form of jade glass coloured by means of uranium in the second half of the last century, and it was also produced in Bohemia.
Almost every factory producing glass in the USA today has a version of jade glass. This includes Fenton, Boyd, Anchor Hocking (Fire-King jade-ite) and many others.
If you are looking for jade glass, you can usually find items on offer on ebay
- click here to see the Jade glass listings currently for sale on ebay.
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