Are you familiar with that soft green glassware called "Jadeite"? I remember many pieces of this in my grandmother's kitchen (and I am now a great grandmother so that says a lot!). I am truly in love with the soft green shade and the wide variety of pieces made. Jadeite was "born" in the 1930's. It was first created by the McKee Glass Co. This was not long after the depression and this glassware was marketed to the public as an alternative to the more expensive earthenware dishes. Anchor Hocking, Fire King and Jeanette Glass soon followed suit with their own patterns. The name "Jadeite" has been spelled so many different ways! Jade-ite, Jad-ite, Jade Glass, Jadite, etc. There was probably a lull in its popularity until Martha Stewart re-introduced all of us to Jadeite through her own personal collection. She had cupboards of it on display during both her TV shows and her magazine spreads. This prompted a few glass makers like Fenton and L.E. Smith
to create reproductions of this glassware in the 2000's. Many collectors like to mix the contemporary with the vintage but you will always have the purists who only want the vintage. How do you tell the difference? It is not easy! Many of the vintage pieces were not marked. You need a good reference book to help you identify patterns and designs. It may be a whole lot easier just to say you love the Jadeite color and collect it for its color value and not its vintage value! Whatever you decide to collect, don't just close it in a cupboard and not use it. It's just to pretty not to display on shelves and open cupboards! Using vintage printed linens along with your Jadeite dishes will make a beautiful and inviting table setting! They are getting harder to find so if you see a piece somewhere, don't hesitate to start a collection or add to your existing one!
Are you familiar with that soft green glassware called "Jadeite"? I remember many pieces of this in my grandmother's kitchen (and I am now a great grandmother so that says a lot!). I am truly in love with the soft green shade and the wide variety of pieces made. Jadeite was "born" in the 1930's. It was first created by the McKee Glass Co. This was not long after the depression and this glassware was marketed to the public as an alternative to the more expensive earthenware dishes. Anchor Hocking, Fire King and Jeanette Glass soon followed suit with their own patterns. The name "Jadeite" has been spelled so many different ways! Jade-ite, Jad-ite, Jade Glass, Jadite, etc. There was probably a lull in its popularity until Martha Stewart re-introduced all of us to Jadeite through her own personal collection. She had cupboards of it on display during both her TV shows and her magazine spreads. This prompted a few glass makers like Fenton and L.E. Smith
to create reproductions of this glassware in the 2000's. Many collectors like to mix the contemporary with the vintage but you will always have the purists who only want the vintage. How do you tell the difference? It is not easy! Many of the vintage pieces were not marked. You need a good reference book to help you identify patterns and designs. It may be a whole lot easier just to say you love the Jadeite color and collect it for its color value and not its vintage value! Whatever you decide to collect, don't just close it in a cupboard and not use it. It's just to pretty not to display on shelves and open cupboards! Using vintage printed linens along with your Jadeite dishes will make a beautiful and inviting table setting! They are getting harder to find so if you see a piece somewhere, don't hesitate to start a collection or add to your existing one!
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