How do I identify my antique lamp?

Some lamps may appear to be made of metal, but they might also be painted to look and feel just like metal. Inspect the lampshade by pinching it between your thumb and index finger. If the shade feels greasy or brittle, there’s a good chance that it may be old or the original shade for your lamp.

How do you identify an Art Deco lamp?

Authentic art deco lamps have small, inconspicuous markings, commonly found at their bases or lower sides. These markings were either sand-blasted or acid-etched. Fakes, on the other hand, have very visible, larger markings.

How do you identify a glass slag lamp?

How To Tell if an Item Is a Slag Glass Antique

Look at the coloring for a marbling effect. It should not just be white streaks mixed in with another color, or one solid color.
Examine the color. Antique slag items are usually brown, blue, green or purple.
Look for names and marks of manufacturers.

How do I identify my lamp maker?

Lamp Maker’s Mark Antique Lamp Supply recommends picking up the lamp and looking for a manufacturer’s symbol, name or date stamp embedded into the base. Also look on the lighting fixture itself; sometimes, the manufacturer includes a sticker that includes the name, or date of manufacture.

How do you date a slag glass lamp?

The key to determining if a piece of glass is “true” slag or just a handsome example of pressed glass is to look for glass that is obviously and richly marbled rather than simply colored or streaked. Your caramel slag glass paneled lamp dates from the 1910s through the 1920s.

Where is slag glass found?

Slag glass is commonly found in purple, less common in blue and brown and green. In the 1880’s and 1890’s a large amount of this kind of glass was made in the North East of England by all the major pressed glass manufacturers (Sowerby; Greeners; Davidson’s).

What’s the difference between vintage and antique?

Vintage items are not as old as antiques. However, unlike the definition of an antique, labeling something vintage is far more subjective. Most antique dealers consider an item to be vintage if it is at least 40 years old. So, in the context of this blog date, a vintage item would be made between 1918 and 1978.

How can you tell the difference between obsidian and slag?

Obsidian has one characteristic that slag generally lacks – a hint of translucence. On our recent Antiquities Tour, Rich and I came across interesting rocks on an abandoned railroad bed in Eastern Colorado. The chunks looked like obsidian. They fractured like obsidian and had the feel of obsidian.

Does slag glass glow?

It wasnt discovered till the 1990s, that slag glass is actually a mineral called obsidian. This Piece is such a beautiful display piece gleams in the sun and glows under uv light .

How much is slag glass worth?

American slag glass makers included Westmoreland Glass, Boyd Glass, Imperial Glass, among others. Slag glass comes in many colors such as chocolate or caramel, purple, blue, pink, and red. Values for slag glass, particularly, kitchenwares and lampshades command values from $50 to $1500 with collectors.

What is slag sea glass?

This ruby red sea glass gem was found along a North Sea coastline in England. Slag glass is a collectors’ name for opaque pressed glass with colored streaks, usually white or cream. The term is borrowed from the steel industry where the word describes the unusable residue left after smelting.

Antique lamps should feature hand-painted designs, so look for brush marks. If the work is perfectly smooth, it might be a decal. You can also identify a decal by touch — decals are smooth, while paint feels textured. Generally, the presence of decals indicates a modern reproduction rather than an antique.

Are old lamps dangerous?

An old lamp may look beautiful, but it can be dangerous. Rewiring it to make it safer is fairly easy in most cases. Most lamps will have a wire running through the center of the base, connecting the lamp socket to the plug. If the lamp is older, consider replacing the wire, as they do break down over time.

Are antique lamps safe to use?

Using vintage lights with old wiring We love antique and vintage lighting. But when you buy old lamps or pendant lights instead of new ones, you need to be careful about your lighting’s potential as a fire hazard. Most of the time, the safest option is to rewire the fixture.

Is it possible to identify an antique oil lamp?

Antique oil lamp identification can be a bit tricky, considering there are many reproduction antique lamps on the market. Oil lamps were the primary source of light in many homes before electricity, and they have a beautiful style that is prized by collectors today.

How old does a lamp have to be to be considered antique?

It might not meet the traditional definition of 100 years old to claim status as an antique, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a fortune as a collectible. Examine the overall condition of the lamp. Look at the type of damage to determine if repairs are possible.

What kind of lamp can I sell for replacement?

Below are some of the most common types of antique lamps that we sell replacement shades and parts for here in our website. Perhaps this will also help you identify your lamp and find out more information.

Can you sell an antique lamp with no markings?

There are some auctions that will sell you a purportedly antique lamp with no markings and they will claim they have sold you a one-of-a-kind antique. Chad Hagy is based in southern California and he has been a full-time freelance writer since 2006.

How to determine the year a table lamp was manufactured?

Table lamps made by renowned designers usually have a date stamp, a product number or the manufacturer’s name listed on them somewhere. By determining the year a table lamp was manufactured, you can learn a lot of information that can help you discover its value or find any replacement parts needed.

Can you tell if an antique lamp is a fake?

As a discerning investor in fine antique lighting, it therefore pays to be extra vigilant and wide awake, ready to spot a fake when you see one. Here, it’s worth bearing in mind a couple of useful mantras: Thanks for watching! Thanks for watching! ‘If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.’ ‘You get what you pay for.’