THE SHADES OF JADE
By Bob Mueller

One of Frederick Carder’s most versatile types of glass was his “jades” glass. Most would say his Aurene’s were used in more ways then his jades. But his jades were right on the back bumper of the Aurene’s.

Mr. Carder started to produce most of his jades in the early 1920s. By the time Mr. Carder was done he would have developed eight different dynamic colors he would call jades. They were Rosaline, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, plum jade, alabaster and mirror black. All of these colors were commercial successes.

Whatever the color, they were typically made with three layers of glass. That is the outer layers are in the jade color and the inner layers of alabaster add to the richness and softness of the jade layers.

But then, a collector would sometimes run across a piece of jade and observe there is no inner alabaster layer; and perhaps walk away from it because they question its authenticity. Mr. Carder did make pieces of jade (yellow, green, light blue) that were made of just that jade with no inner alabaster lining. You can find pieces like this in lamps, perfumes items, vases etc., so please don’t automatically just walk away.

Mr. Carder was able to use his jades for just about anything a customer wanted it for. He used it in tableware, vases, bowls, toiletries, acid etched pieces, for engraving, sconces, lamps and on and on.

For the majority of the jades, such as Rosaline, Mr. Carder aimed them for the ladies taste. But four colors would please a man, and were I feel his best colors. Plum Jade, Dark Blue, Light Blue and Mirror Black were colors I feel that drew in a person’s attention, more than others.

Mr. Carder’s jades had a long commercial run and served the economy of Steuben Glass Works well.

The only problem for the collector was that Stevens & Williams jades sometimes appear on the market. While these Stevens & Williams jades have great similarity to Steuben’s it has to be remembered that Mr. Carder worked on developing these jades while he was art director at Stevens & Williams. Most knowledgeable collectors can tell the difference in the softer tones of the Stevens & Williams’s colors and perhaps small bubbles found in the Stevens & Williams’s glass. However, when friends come to you to show you an item and ask you what you think of their new piece of Steuben, do you tell them it’s Steven & Williams or not?

Bob Mueller
Osseo, Minnesota
March 26, 2010