Uranium Glass Brooch Value Guide

These distinctive brooches are highly collectible due to their unique inclusion of uranium oxide, which causes the glass to fluoresce a brilliant neon green under ultraviolet light. Produced primarily in the United States between 1900 and 1940, these floral and cluster designs represent a fascinating era of costume jewelry that combined scientific curiosity with fashionable aesthetics.

What Is Uranium Glass Brooch Worth?

The typical price range for Uranium Glass Brooch is $75 - $120 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• The intensity and consistency of the glow under UV light significantly impact the market price.
• The physical condition of the glass beads, specifically the absence of chips or surface scratches.
• The complexity of the floral or cluster design and the integrity of the metal alloy framework.
• Historical provenance and the rarity of the specific bead shapes used in the brooch assembly.

How to Identify Uranium Glass Brooch?

• Verify the signature neon green fluorescence by using a 365nm or 395nm UV blacklight.
• Look for the characteristic greenish-yellow 'Vaseline glass' tint in natural light settings.
• Examine the metal alloy settings for construction styles consistent with the early 20th-century era.
• Check for the presence of small uranium glass beads arranged in intricate floral or cluster patterns.

History of Uranium Glass Brooch

Uranium glass, also known as Vaseline glass, was popular from the 1880s to the 1920s. Its distinctive greenish-yellow color and fluorescent properties come from the inclusion of small amounts of uranium in the glass mixture, typically less than 2% by weight. While it contains uranium, the radioactivity is generally considered negligible and safe for handling. Brooches made with uranium glass were fashionable costume jewelry during this period, often designed to mimic more expensive gemstone pieces. The practice of using uranium in glass largely ceased during World War II due to the need for uranium in nuclear weapons production.