#Distinguish #Cut #Glass #Molded #Glass #WorthPoint
Thrifters and estate sale shoppers often run across molded glass, which can resemble the look of cut glass. Why is it important to know the difference? Molded pattern glass usually sells for less than cut glass, so learning to tell them apart can go a long way toward making informed buying decisions—especially if you plan on flipping the items for a profit.
Once you learn to tell these two types of glass apart, you might even be able to know just by looking at a piece. At the very least, you’ll be able to pick up a bowl, dish, or pitcher and know what you’re holding pretty quickly. However, the first step in learning to distinguish one type from another is understanding how they were manufactured.
How Old-Cut Glass Was Made
Cut glass made in the early 1800s (and even before then) was time-consuming to produce since it took four individuals to craft just one piece. A glass blower created a blank (an undecorated piece of glassware), and an artist adept in pattern design would then come up with a template for a glass cutter to follow. Glass cutters called roughers used spinning stone or iron wheels to execute the design before a polisher finished it up. The result was a finely crafted piece of handmade glass. Many of the workers producing these wares were from Europe, and they helped American manufacturers produce the type of top-quality glass that had been imported to the United States previously.
As the Industrial Revolution progressed, the steps were refined. Rather than mouth-blowing the glass into a desired shape, the molten material was blown into a mold, making the job easier. As the technique evolved, patterns were added to the molds, taking out another manufacturing step. The rest of the process was basically the same, with a rougher cutting and a polisher finishing the glass. The quality wasn’t as high as glass completely crafted by hand, but the look was similar.
Most of the cut glass found by secondhand shoppers today falls into the American Brilliant Period, which includes glass made from around 1875 until around the end of World War I. After being exhibited by various companies at the 1876 Centennial Exposition, this glass gained popularity and sold very well to both middle-class and wealthy consumers.
The Making of Molded Glass
If you’ve heard the term pressed glass and wondered if it’s the same thing as molded glass, the answer is yes. Both terms are correct because molten glass is pressed into a mold to create this type of glassware. The technique for producing molded glass was patented in the United States in the 1820s, transforming the glassware industry.
The earliest pieces have what are known as chill marks that look like waves or wrinkles. These formed when melted glass was pushed into a cool metal mold. Intricate patterns were added to the molds to hide these marks at first. As the process evolved, glass formulas were changed to eliminate this effect.
With improved manufacturing efficiency, more and more items previously made of cut glass were produced using pressing techniques. That’s where the confusion sets in since they can look alike at first glance; many pieces of early molded glass have similar designs and patterns when compared to cut glass. These include sawtooth rims and numerous patterns featuring hobstars in the design.
Ways to Distinguish Cut Glass from Molded Glass
One way to determine if a piece of antique glass is cut or molded is to run a finger lightly across the rim and the surface. Cut glass has an overall sharpness that will not be present on molded glass; molded glass is much smoother. Cut glass also has a sparkle under light that molded glass can’t match. In early pieces, you can also look for a pontil mark where the glass was broken away from a blowing tool during manufacturing. These are often polished down to form a concave circle in the bottom of a piece of cut glass.
You can also look for marks on both these types of glass to help with identification, as some companies specialized in cut glass while others were known for pressed glass. Makers that marked cut glass include Libbey, Heisey, and Hawkes. You may have to look very carefully to find these marks; they’re often acid-etched and can be very faint. Marks on molded glass include Imperial’s NU CUT, McKee’s PRES CUT, and Cambridge’s NEAR CUT. These marks are usually molded into the glass and raised so they’re easier to see.
This article compares the appearance of cut glass and clear molded glass made from the late 19th century to the early 1900s. Technically, though, there are many other types of clear and colored molded glass, including Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG), which was produced during the same period, and Depression glass, which was made beginning in the 1920s. Mold lines found on the sides of this type of glassware are often a manufacturing clue, even if the glass has been lightly wheel-etched on the surface.
Pamela Siegel is a freelance writer and author who has been educating collectors for more than two decades. In addition to three books on topics relating to antiques and collectibles, she frequently shares her expertise through online writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela is also the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Chic Antiques by Pamela.
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