Late 19th Century Amethyst Pressed Glass Pedestal Finger Lamp Victorian

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Description

This Late 19th Century pedestal finger lamp bears the embossed patent “Sept. 20, 1870” on its base. Made of amethyst … Read more This Late 19th Century pedestal finger lamp bears the embossed patent “Sept. 20, 1870” on its base. Made of amethyst pressed glass with visible mold marks, it reflects classic Victorian styling and retains its brass burner fitting. The lamp has been used for its intended purpose and shows a small flea-bite chip along the rim, consistent with age and use. This item has been irradiated to produce the beautiful amethyst purple color. Below is an explanation of the irradiation process.

Purple/Amethyst Glass and Irradiation:
The beautiful purple color of this glass is caused by the presence of manganese, which was used in early glass production as a de-colorizer, to turn the glass clear. Manganese is one of the oldest glass additives, and purple manganese glass has been used since early Egyptian history. Around 1915, most glass companies stopped using manganese, substituting selenium as the clearing agent. Glass that contains manganese will turn amethyst/purple when exposed to ultraviolet rays of the sun or other sources of UV rays. When the process of the sun is accelerated by using UV light exposure, it is called “irradiation”. It is a permanent process which reproduces the effects of many years of exposure to natural sunlight, but much faster, and it will not fade. A glass item manufactured after this era will not turn purple with UV light exposure, so it is a true indicator of the items age. See less