Most uranium glass sells for about $10-60 a piece as of late 2026. A green Depression-era sherbet, plate or cup that glows under a black light typically brings about $10-35, and recent sold results for pressed yellow-green vaseline goblets, salts and small bowls cluster around $30-75. The better money is in Victorian opalescent vaseline glass with applied handles or ruffled rims, at about $50-150, and in large or early blown pieces from known makers, which can reach a few hundred dollars and occasionally more. The glow itself is not rare. Hundreds of factories added a small amount of uranium to glass between the 1840s and the 1940s, and some still do today.
So the question is less "does it glow" and more "what is it". The pattern, the maker, the age, the form and the condition set the price, the same way they would for any piece of old glass. The black light just tells you which shelf of the market to look on.
Quick answer
- Depression-era green or yellow uranium glass, common forms: about $10-35 a piece.
- Pressed vaseline glass goblets, salts, rose bowls and small dishes: about $30-75.
- Victorian opalescent vaseline with ruffled rims or applied handles: about $50-150.
- Large early blown pieces, rare patterns and art glass from known makers: a few hundred dollars and up, with thin sales.
- The glow does not prove age. Reproductions made since the 1950s glow too.
How to identify and value uranium glass, step by step
- Do the UV test properly. Use a 365 nanometer UV flashlight, not a purple party bulb, in a dark room. Uranium glass fluoresces a bright, even green. Some other glass glows faintly orange, blue or white, which comes from different additives and is not uranium glass.
- Name the color family. Collectors use "vaseline glass" for transparent yellow to yellow-green glass with uranium, named for the look of old petroleum jelly. Green Depression glass with uranium is often called uranium glass. Custard glass, Burmese art glass and some opaque green glass can also contain uranium and glow.
- Decide whether it is pressed or blown. Pressed glass has mold seams and a crisp pattern on the outside. Blown glass has a rough or ground pontil mark on the base and no seams. Most finds are pressed.
- Look for opalescence. Edges that turn milky white or blue when the glass was reheated mark opalescent vaseline, which sells for more than plain clear yellow.
- Match the pattern. Pressed patterns such as Daisy and Button, Hobnail, Diamond Point, Block Optic and Cameo have published names. Our Depression glass value guide covers the green 1930s patterns in more detail.
- Look for a maker's mark. Most Victorian and Depression pieces are unmarked. An embossed F in an oval means Fenton, from 1970 onward, and an N in a circle means Northwood. Paper labels are rare on older glass.
- Check condition under strong light. Run a fingertip around the rim, the feet and any handles for chips and flakes. Look for cracks radiating from handles and for cloudiness inside vases, which is called sickness and does not wash out.
- Price from sold results for the same pattern, form and size, not for "uranium glass" in general. Asking prices for glowing glass often run well above what pieces actually sell for.
What uranium glass sells for
Sold ranges as of late 2026, drawn from completed online sales and auction results. Asking prices run higher.
| Type | Typical examples | Recent sold range |
|---|---|---|
| Depression-era green uranium glass | Sherbets, cups, saucers, small plates | About $10-35 |
| Depression-era larger pieces | Pitchers, cake plates, butter dishes | About $30-100 |
| Pressed vaseline glass, plain | Goblets, salts, toothpick holders | About $25-75 |
| Pressed vaseline rose bowls and vases | Embossed or hobnail forms | About $40-90 |
| Opalescent vaseline, Victorian | Ruffled bowls, nappies with applied handles | About $50-150 |
| Fenton and later makers, 1950s onward | Hobnail, baskets, figural pieces | About $20-80 |
| Early blown or cut vaseline, large forms | Epergnes, lamps, decanters | About $150-500, sales are thin |
| Art glass with uranium from known European houses | Signed vases and bowls | Hundreds and up, priced by maker, not by glow |
| Modern reproductions | Hens on nests, slippers, toothpicks | About $5-25 |
A green Depression sherbet is a common thing, and a small dish of it in a cabinet is honestly a few dollars a piece. A full set in one pattern sells for less per piece than the same items sold one at a time, because buyers usually want to fill gaps, not buy a whole service.
Condition and what changes the price
| Factor | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Mint, no chips, bright clear glass | Full value for the form |
| Small flake on a foot or rim | Deduct about 25-40 percent |
| Chip on the rim you drink from | Deduct about 50 percent or more |
| Crack or heat check | Usually a display piece at a fraction of value |
| Cloudiness or sickness inside | Deduct about 30-60 percent |
| Strong opalescent edge | Adds a clear premium over plain vaseline |
| Known pattern with collector demand | Adds; matching pieces sell faster |
| Large or unusual form | Adds; epergnes and lamps are less common |
| Glow brightness alone | Little effect once the glass is identified |
Is uranium glass safe?
Yes, for display and normal handling. The uranium in old glass is usually a few percent by weight or less, and studies by the UK Health Security Agency and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities museum describe the dose from handling or displaying it as low. A sensible practice is still to wash your hands after handling a large collection, to avoid grinding, sanding or drilling the glass, and to avoid storing acidic food or drink for long periods in worn or chipped pieces. Many collectors simply use it for display and keep their everyday glasses separate. If you want a number for a specific piece, a Geiger counter will give one, but it adds nothing to the value.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the glow means it is old. Fenton, Mosser, Boyd and many importers have made uranium glass in recent decades, and reproductions of Victorian pieces glow just as brightly.
- Pricing from the highest asking price. A search for "vaseline glass" turns up hopeful prices far above what pieces sell for. Use sold results.
- Using a cheap black light. A weak or wrong-wavelength bulb can make ordinary glass look like it glows, or miss a faint glow. A 365 nm torch removes the doubt.
- Calling all green glass uranium. Plenty of green Depression glass contains no uranium and does not fluoresce. It is not less valuable because of that; it is a different market.
- Ignoring chips because the glow looks good. Collectors price condition first. A flake on a goblet foot costs more than the glow adds.
- Washing in the dishwasher. Heat and detergent can etch and cloud older glass.
How WorthPic reads uranium glass photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From a daylight photo it reads the color, the form, the pattern on the outside of the glass, the shape of the rim and feet, and any seams, pontil marks or embossed marks on the base, which together usually place a piece by pattern, era and type. From a photo taken under a UV light it can see whether the glow is the even green of uranium or something else. It then gives an honest value range for that pattern and form in the condition the photos show.
What it cannot know is what a photo hides. A tiny rim flake, a hairline crack or the difference between an 1890s piece and a careful 1980s reproduction can need hands and a loupe. When it cannot be sure, it says so and asks for a closer photo. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise.
What to photograph
- The whole piece in daylight, from the side, against a plain background.
- The same piece under a UV light in a dark room, with no other light source.
- The base, straight on, to show any mark, a pontil scar or mold seams.
- The rim and any handles close up, in raking light, to show chips or cracks.
- The pattern close up, so the motif can be matched.
- A ruler or coin next to it for size, since price follows size.
When to get it looked at in person
A shelf of glowing Depression cups and sherbets does not need an expert. Matching the pattern and checking sold results is the whole job. The pieces worth a specialist's eye are large Victorian opalescent pieces, epergnes, lamps, blown pieces with a pontil and anything signed or attributed to a European art glass house. For those, a glass dealer or an auction house with a glass department, or a regional club of the kind that also covers carnival glass and Fenton glass, will know whether a piece is period or a later copy. If you have a mixed box of old glass and china, our guide to whether old china dishes are worth anything covers the rest of the cupboard.