Like a child searching
frantically through a cereal box for the mystery prize, woman in the 1930s
searched through oatmeal boxes for pale green colored glass wear. This vintage
glassware is widely known as Jadeite and was produce from the 1930s until the early
70s, according to pauladeen.com. Though I do not own any Jadeite, I have always
admired its green coloring, shapes, and designs of each piece. And apparently
even food network star, Paula Deen, enjoys collecting these pieces and putting
them to good use, according to pauladeen.com.
Picture courtesy of Jennifer Cox is of reproduction vintage Jadeite spice shakers. You can tell they are not the "real deal" by the lack of proper markings on the bottom. But still shine in a pale-green color giving the allure of this desirable glassware!
This vintage tableware was
mass produced and like many collectables can
be found anywhere such as thrift stores, antique malls, auctions, yard
sales, even someone’s kitchen cupboard. Originally produced by Mckee, Jadeite
was desirable because it was durable and inexpensive to produce. The name
Jadeite is credited to the Jeannette Glass Company, however Anchor Hocking
Glass Corporation eventually became the largest producer of these pieces.
Jadeite competed against other glassware such as the popular Fire-King line,
however Jadeite won out remaining in high demand for 30 years. Even restaurants
and diners across the United States served coffee out of thick-rimmed Jadeite
mugs, which gave the appearance that there was more coffee in them than there
actually was.
Like all highly desirable
products there are many reproductions, so if you are wanting the “real deal,”
be sure to look for the markings “McK” in a circle which indicates Mckee and a “J”
inside a triangle which represents the Jeanette Glass Co, located on the bottom
of pieces. When pricing the “real deal” some pieces sell for around $20 or more
unusual rare pieces can sell for several hundred. However, always remember that
a reproduction can also look just as nice and complete the “look” of a room for
a fraction of the cost, just depends what you would like to own.
So the next time you are
served something in a pale green color, examine the bottom and see if you can
detect the correct markings. And just think, maybe that mug your drinking out
of originally was discovered by an excited homemaker of the 1930s searching for
her newest piece of Jadeite in the oatmeal container!
