19th century Uranium glass perfume bottle

Description

Uranium glass, sometimes called Vaseline glass, takes its distinctive yellow-green tint and its famous glow under UV light from a small amount of uranium oxide mixed into the glass batch, a technique that was widespread in decorative glassmaking from the mid-19th century through the early 20th, well before the element’s other associations existed.

This perfume bottle, dating to the 19th century, is a genuine example of the technique applied to a small, functional object rather than a purely decorative piece, form and material both doing real work.

Why uranium glass is a genuinely safe, well-understood collecting category. The radioactivity involved is extremely low and well within safe handling limits; the appeal for collectors is almost entirely about the glass’s colour and its glow under UV light, a genuine period technique rather than a novelty.

What to look for. The glass should show an even, consistent tint and glow uniformly under UV light, without cloudiness or damage to the stopper or neck.

This piece was part of a small, genuinely personal collection of antiques, gathered over years rather than acquired for resale. It has since sold.