Last week, I was in eastern North Carolina and stopped into Franklin’s Antiques in New Bern. My aunt met me there and we enjoyed hunting for treasures. I found this lovely clear glass vase. My research shows that the glass was produced by Imperial Glass starting in the early 1900s and is nicknamed “Zippered Heart”. A lot of glass patterns are just numbered and later given names by glass enthusiasts.

In collecting glass over the past several years, I have found many pieces that are discolored and have a purplish hue. You can see how the vase is slightly tinted purple or gray when compared to the clear glass salt cellar. I would hear people refer to the glass as “really old” because of this. In researching, I found out a few facts as well as a trend that glass collectors find alarming. A lot of Early American Pressed Glass (EAPG) was made with manganese which was a decolorizer and helped to filter out impurities. Glass Encyclopedia and Corning Museum of Glass both have information about manganese in glass. Over time, glass that has manganese as a component is susceptible to discoloration if exposed to radiation which mostly happens via sunlight. Initially, people who owned the glass might leave it in a sunny spot and then later notice it was discolored. The discoloration became, for a time, a way for people to identify or claim that the glass was antique. Serious collectors consider this a flaw in the glass and state that the glass may have less value. Pattern Glass provides education and insight on this topic.

As I continue to find and purchase glass pieces I tend to find myself researching it as well. There is a rich history of glass production around the world and I find this information interesting so I am sharing it. I purchased this vase because I thought it would make a beautiful foundation for a pincushion. The weight of the glass and the intricate design make it such an interesting piece. I’m looking forward to finding the right fabric for making a pincushion!
Happy quilting and crafting! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎