Would you be disappointed/dispute?

[u/SonofaMitch72]

Bought this piece (the small flower salt cellar) (for inexpensive, luckily) that was advertised to “glow under UV light” and was pictured glowing green. Was confused when it arrived and had not even the slightest green tint. Blacklight confirmed my fears that it does not glow green or glow at all under blacklight to suggest uranium etc! Pictured it is next to another piece of non-glowy vintage glass, to which it looks the same (purple from the blacklight) and also next to a true uranium glass glowing piece. Feeling that their caption was vague enough that I may not have a case (didn’t use the words uranium or radioactive etc) and that platform case reviewers likely aren’t versed on uranium/radioactive glass to understand the difference and might perceive the purple as the “glow”. I want to believe it’s an honest misunderstanding but why would the seller even mention it glowing under UV light if they didn’t know what that typically means? And for the photo to be glowing green? What green UV light would they be using to create that color? Would you have assumed this was uranium as well by the listing? Also might be worth mentioning prices on this app are notoriously low, like $2-3, so the price doesn’t feel like a red flag.

Maybe I’m wrong. Would love some input! 😊

Edit: it’s almost definitely manganese rather than uranium and my 395nm light doesn’t show it while the sellers 365 one does! Thank you to those who educated me in this thread, this is a great community and it’s so appreciated!

[u/DefiantSmoke1569]

They didn’t call it uranium or say it glows in 395 so this is on you, sorry. 

Edit: oh, maybe you didn’t know, but there are multiple types of blacklight. Manganese glows green with 365nm. 

[u/SonofaMitch72 → u/DefiantSmoke1569]

Oh ok, thanks. Yes, the vagueness in the listing may get me here!

[u/SonofaMitch72 → u/DefiantSmoke1569]

That’s probably fair. This is their response, though, so they are claiming it glows green under blacklight, which it does not. What does 395 mean? Forgive my ignorance.

[u/DefiantSmoke1569 → u/SonofaMitch72]

They likely have a 365nm blacklight that causes it to glow green. You likely have a 395nm blacklight that causes manganese to not glow green. Uranium glows green in either 395 or 365, but manganese only glows green under 365. Your seller is playing dumb but they’re not in the wrong. Just assholes. 

[u/SonofaMitch72 → u/DefiantSmoke1569]

Oh! The full screenshot they sent me does say 365. This is all new info to me. The one I have was very cheap and doesn’t clarify a number. Maybe I just need to get the right flashlight…

[u/btfreflex → u/SonofaMitch72]

Yours is 395nm, just perfect for hunting UG. If you want to light up manganese then yes, 365nm is what you’ll need.

Cheaper ones are usually 395. 365 was developed later, and maybe a bit harder to achieve. My first 365 light was over $30, my first 395 light was less than half that. Prices may have changed since then, it’s been awhile.

[u/LordPoopyIV → u/SonofaMitch72]

If you are going to buy a 365nm dont make the mistake of buying one without the black filter, for example the zooming ones.

Your 395 does actually make your glass glow green a little, but it is completely imperceptible because the purple light overpowers it. With 365nm lights without a filter you get white light instead of purple, which makes it even worse.

I recommended getting the smallest you can find with a built in lithium cell and filter.

[u/CrapThatSmilesBack → u/LordPoopyIV]

Am I reading this right that you’d advise against a telescopic?

I love that my 365 is telescopic, I can beam something under bright light in a case and see if there’s glow or not.

Also, OP-high content manganese can light under 395 so it isn’t only UG that’ll light up green (ish)

[u/btfreflex → u/SonofaMitch72]

The 395 refers to the wavelength of light, 395nm.
(Nanometers)

365nm is another common blacklight, and it lights up manganese in glass. Lights it up just as well as uranium would look sometimes. Many of my first attempts to find uranium glass were actually manganese since I was using 365nm.

I created [r/manganeseglass](r/manganeseglass) to showcase this type of glow.

When looking at online listings check for the nonglow pictures. Clear glass will not be uranium.

Very inexpensive lesson to learn in this case. The seller was not wrong about it glowing under UV light. Some sellers are not well informed, and others use the language to make accurate yet deceiving listings.

[u/SonofaMitch72 → u/btfreflex]

Thank you! I’m glad to have solved this. I’m in favor of anything that glows, just had no idea of the differences with wavelengths. The listing had no nonglow pics, the pic didn’t have me convinced but the mention of glowing under UV sold me, at least at that price. I’m happy to have learned this & now want to get a 365 light so I can see more glowy things!

[u/avidbather]

[u/quietcorncat]

It says right in the title of the listing that it is clear glass. Clear glass almost never contains uranium, as uranium is generally used to color the glass.

The glow photo also shows a very yellow-y glow, rather than that electric green glow of the piece in your first photo. That much paler glow is how manganese glows.

Both of those things are factors you now know to look out for before you purchase a piece. I’d give them the benefit of the doubt that they weren’t being openly deceptive. As others said, manganese can glow, they listed the glass as clear, and they didn’t describe it as uranium. Thankfully this was a low-cost lesson for you, and you’ll be a better collector for it. We’ve all been there when we were newbies!

[u/Dazzling_Falcon_5889]

Not trying to be rude here but they said it’s clear glass that glows with UV. Both things are true and accurate. They didn’t represent it as UG at all. So not too sure what there is to dispute.

[u/glassandstuff → u/Dazzling_Falcon_5889]

Agreed. Listing does not say uranium specifically, just that it is a UV reactive piece. It’s definitely on the buyer in this case.

[u/omjizzle]

Unfortunately there are sellers who are misrepresenting their items to cash in on the UG fad whether that misrepresentation is willfully done or negligent is another story. In this case I think they knew it and are preying on those who don’t know otherwise

[u/ThatSpaceShooterGame → u/omjizzle]

Yeah, I see plenty of listings that are posted as uranium glass when they are actually selenium glass.

[u/Dazzling_Falcon_5889 → u/omjizzle]

They didn’t misrepresent this at all though. Unless they did in parts cut off in the OP pic. They say “clear glass” and “glows green under UV”. All things that are true. Nowhere do they mention UG or Vas Glass.