Here is a riddle for you. What do you call a sherbet that’s iridescent and has mold etched flowers all over? This is Floragold from Jeannette Glass.
Floragold fans seem split whether this is depression glass or carnival glass or glass from the 1950s. Here’s why.
- Pattern Motif: Flowers all over. Depression Glass style.
- Glass technique: Mold etched. Depression Glass technique. (The design is raised on the glass surface.)
- Color: Iridescent. Carnival.
- Heft and feel: 1950s
- Production date: 1950s
- Nickname: Louisa after an early carnival pattern.
Way back when I first started in business a local collector sold me a ton of glass. She had everything – an incredible collection – and sold me over 25 banana boxes filled with glass. One of the patterns was Floragold. At one time I had a superior collection including plates, cups, saucers, tumblers, accessory pieces galore.
When I bought her Floragold the pattern was beginning to lose popularity. It was almost unsalable for a few years but recently carnival glass is making a come back and the later 1950s iridescent glass is riding the trend too. I got out a few pieces and took better photos and will get them listed again.
Floragold pieces are interesting. Most are square with curved sides or if they are round like the sherbet then the foot is square. There are a gazillion bowls, several ruffled and some plain. You can find tumblers easily, but be aware Jeannette made tumblers with a smooth top and tumblers with a band. (One of the really cute pieces is an oblong oval small bowl with four feet that I’ll show this week.)
Most Floragold is pretty reasonable. The ruffled bowls are downright cheap, under $10 or so. Even tumblers are around $12, almost unheard of for vintage glass in a collectible pattern. Cereal bowls, salad bowls, big torte plates are the more expensive pieces.
Whether you call this depression glass, carnival glass or what, Floragold is pretty stuff!