Nov 15, 2009
Issue 739
First report from David Chadwick-Brown of San Diego
While I cannot test flint white, I decided to go through the other “whites” and came upon some interesting results. Calcite and alabaster did not respond – until I tested a Kneeling Girl plaque, which I had assumed was alabaster. It did respond to black light, so now I am wondering what is its content? Ivrene surely would not respond to black light, though I decided to put an elevator light, cast by Corning and impressed into the rim it says: “Corning Ivrene, Made in USA.” I can now verify that Corning’s Ivrene responds to black light, even if Steuben’s does not.
Then there is the mysterious “clambroth” which is an off-white. I have a sherbet and underplate, and perhaps Jim Sutterfield’s great collection also may contain one of these pairs, and they most surely glow in black light.
Next, from Randy Bly of Birmingham, Alabama
From my experiments none of the whites glow under a black light. There is however a color being called Yellow Opalescent that does glow and has an appearance slightly similar to Calcite. As the story goes Jim (Sutterfield?) was the first to bring this color to light. Thomas Dimitroff told him since he had discovered the color so he could name it. Jim chose the name Yellow Opalescent. The piece is in a sherbet and under plate. David Chadwick Brown also has this color. These two examples are the only ones I know of that exist.