Anything special about uranium yellow?

[hummingbird3172]

I love green and was instantly drawn to this color...I have to say I am not especially impressed after playing with it...does it react with anything or is there a way to develop the color better? Inquiring minds want to know ;).

[Kevan]

I love green and was instantly drawn to this color...I have to say I am not especially impressed after playing with it...does it react with anything or is there a way to develop the color better? Inquiring minds want to know ;).

It glows under black light. That's about all I know about it. I have used it and not seen that it does anything in particular. I hear it makes a nice yellow with silver.

[pierces*designs]

My biggest issue with it is it is so shocky! I love the shiny light green sheen of it and it sits there in my glass rack mocking me. "Go ahead, put me in the flame....I won't hurt you! Muhahahahahaha"

[hummingbird3172]

It glows under black light. That's about all I know about it. I have used it and not seen that it does anything in particular. I hear it makes a nice yellow with silver.

OH, that is cool! I was using it to make my jellyfish bodies....some jellyfish are naturally fluorescent so that works out well. I will have to try it out. Thanks Kevan, I am liking it better already!

Debbie, have you tried resting the shocky rods on top of your kiln before you need them? Ever since MAR told me she does that, I haven't had so much trouble with shocky colors. :)

[schoy]

My biggest issue with it is it is so shocky! I love the shiny light green sheen of it and it sits there in my glass rack mocking me. "Go ahead, put me in the flame....I won't hurt you! Muhahahahahaha"

Oh yeah...don't you just hate it when your rods get all mouthy like that? LOL
I say into the flames with them!!! heheh

[Deepwood Art]

Anything special?
Yes, T-UY is GORGEOUS when etched! No more than 6 1/2 minutes (or so) in the solution. Yum.

Fran

[kimberly]

Yep. Uranium yellow is one of my all time favorite colors of glass. Beautiful for layering over opaques and transparents. It can really brighten some of the grass greens and is STUNNING on Bright Acid Yellow. Beautiful over or under many of the transparents. I love it. It is a good thing that some glass doesn't "DO" anything other than just be lovely! If it was all reactive, we would be in real trouble!!

I TOTALLY agree on the etched Uranium Yellow. Lovely! BTW, I have never had it do more than glow very slightly under a black light. It does not glow in the dark, at least, not the Uranium Yellow Transparent I have..

[Nejoum]

Quite a whie back someone was making great goddess beads with the U Yellow opeque....With warm color accents.
Beautiful.
Diana

[Doolollies]

Dot beads with opaque and trans UY and then etch them. Yeppie one of my fav colors.
Linda

[hummingbird3172]

I guess I should have said I have the opaque. It is like the palest celadon green, but the color was more pronounced when it was in a group of the others.

Thank you all for the tips :) !

[kimberly]

The opaque is beautiful underneath any of the greens, including Uranium Yellow transparent (I think of it as a pale green, really). I love this color! Lovely with EDP, opaque Lavender and Opal Yellow.

[lunamoonshadow]

Opaque Uranium Yellow underneath the OLD Chardonnay (yeah, go find it, :lol: it's odd lot ;)) is the most beautiful buttercream yellow....I'm hoarding some Chardonnay for when I can make non-wonkie-newbie-fugly beads ;) because I saw the most gorgeous set done with that combination a couple years ago by Virginia L.~she was nice enough to give away her "secret color combo" & I knew I had to have the glass for when I finally got a torch ;)...well, I've got the torch now, but not the skill (yet)! :lol:...

[Kevan]

Opaque Uranium Yellow underneath the OLD Chardonnay (yeah, go find it, :lol: it's odd lot ;)) is the most beautiful buttercream yellow....I'm hoarding some Chardonnay for when I can make non-wonkie-newbie-fugly beads ;) because I saw the most gorgeous set done with that combination a couple years ago by Virginia L.~she was nice enough to give away her "secret color combo" & I knew I had to have the glass for when I finally got a torch ;)...well, I've got the torch now, but not the skill (yet)! :lol:...

Hmm.... I have some of the chardonnay. I might have to try that.

Here is part of an article on Uranium bearing glass. The old glassware from the depression that is called "Vaseline glass" is uranium yellow. It's radio active. That's why it glows.

HEALTH AND SAFETY ASPECTS OF VASELINE GLASS / URANIUM GLASS HEALTH AND SAFETY ASPECTS OF VASELINE GLASS / URANIUM GLASS
One of the most significant aspects of uranium glass is that it is radioactive and does give a positive reading on a geiger counter. This may cause some concern as to its safety with regard to health but I am now able to report that in June 2003 I assisted the UK's National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in a study of uranium bearing glass. During this study, technical representatives of the NRPB visited my home and conducted extensive tests on a very wide variety of uranium bearing glass from many manufacturers and time periods. They confirmed that the radiation levels detected were low and quite safe with normal use. The full results of the NRPB study will be published in the near future and at that time I will be providing a link to the publication.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY NOTE: The grinding or abrasive polishing of vaseline glass cannot be classed as 'Normal Use' as the dust and residue produced by these actions can be toxic if inhaled or ingested and therefore should be avoided.

The other significant aspect of uranium bearing glass and that which is of major interest to collectors, is that it glows a vivid bright green under Ultra Violet light (blacklight). This is due to the Ultra Violet radiation exciting the outer electrons of the uranium atoms which as a result give off energy and which is seen by our eyes as a bright green glow. This is called fluorescence. The more intense the UV the brighter the green glow and the less that the original yellow colouring can be seen. Uranium glass also has a slight green glow in daylight due to the Ultra Violet component of daylight acting on it. This glow is paler due to the effect of the other components of white light also striking our eyes.

'Vaseline Glass' is a term that has been adopted for a type of uranium glass which is transparent, has a yellow-green hue in daylight and fluoresces bright green under Ultra-Violet light (black light). So, strictly speaking, anything outside these parameters should just be called 'Uranium Glass'. To further confuse the issue, glass collectors in the UK have adopted the term 'Vaseline Glass' to describe opalescent glass. To avoid confusion I always refer to any glass with opalescence as 'opalescent glass'.

Apart from vaseline glass there are many other types of uranium bearing glass, some of which have also been given names. For example some opaque uranium glass tends to be called 'Custard Glass' and if it also has a pink tinged satin area to part of it (caused by gold in the mix being reheated), then it may well be termed 'Burmese Glass'.

[kimberly]

I knew a little bit about Vaseline glass. Thank you for the informative article! The glass we get from Effetre (Moretti) is not the same as the vaseline glass. It contains no uranium (this is info from Mike Frantz). It is not radioactive and does not react to blacklights in the same manner. Would be pretty cool if it did, but I am not sure I would want to be melting radioactive glass!!! LOL!.

[hummingbird3172]

Wow, thank you for all the terrific info!

I have probably had my life time share of radiation (well, not REALLY)...I used to be an x-ray tech...lol.


I have some of the vetrofond light grass green...it is so pretty...maybe I will layer that with the UY. I am so glad there are so many shades of green glass! :)

[Kevan]

I knew a little bit about Vaseline glass. Thank you for the informative article! The glass we get from Effetre (Moretti) is not the same as the vaseline glass. It contains no uranium (this is info from Mike Frantz). It is not radioactive and does not react to blacklights in the same manner. Would be pretty cool if it did, but I am not sure I would want to be melting radioactive glass!!! LOL!.

That's interesting. Why is it called uranium yellow then? lol

I know there are ceramic glazes that containe uranium - yellow glazes. It makes a nice yellow.

People did use the Vaseline glass to eat and drink out of. It might be interesting to buy a old plate or something and smash it up, make some rod out of it. Hey, what's a little radiation? :smile:

[Kalera]

The Bullseye uranium yellow (an odd-lot that I suspect will become a regular offering) does glow under black light, and is just a delicious color... maybe a bit "stronger" of a yellow than the Moretti.