Glowing in the Dark: A Brief History of Uranium Glass

Welcome back to the History Nook.

Today we’re exploring uranium glass—an object both ordinary and otherworldly, where science, beauty, and a little bit of panic meet.

So grab your favourite mug, find a soft space to curl up, and let’s wander a little deeper into the past.

Picture it: four volunteers, myself included, sitting around a table on a Friday afternoon, cataloguing and photographing a collection of glassware. The work is relaxed, the Les Misérables soundtrack is drifting through the room, and then—out of the pile of fragments—we find it.

A curious yellow shard, neatly labelled: Uranium Glass.

Now, here’s the thing: all four of us were archaeologists and historians with a focus on ancient history. Which means that in this moment… yes, there was mild panic. Cut to the scene of us frantically wrapping this tiny fragment in every scrap of material we could find—tissue paper, newspaper, plastic bags—before ceremoniously banishing it to the furthest corner of the room.

We didn’t know at the time that uranium glass is safe. And it is, to be clear! While it does glow under UV light and is mildly radioactive, the levels are so low that handling it poses no danger.

So what exactly is uranium glass?

It’s a man-made material, created by adding uranium oxide to glass before melting. The result is that uncanny yellow or green hue that fluoresces under blacklight. Most pieces contain only trace amounts of uranium, making them safe to handle—or even to wear, in the case of beads and jewellery. (Excuse me while I head to eBay.)

Leo insisted I add here that humans are basically featherless magpies—we’ve always been drawn to shiny, unusual materials. And, well, he’s right.

Uranium itself was first identified in 1789 by Martin Heinrich Klaproth, and humans did what we always do when we discover something pretty: we put it on display. Think lead-based cosmetics, arsenic wallpaper, and radium glow-in-the-dark paint. Uranium glass was no different—used for tableware and decorative items throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Production declined in the 1940s, when wartime restrictions and the Cold War limited access to uranium. But by then, uranium glass had already secured its place as a curious household treasure.

You may also have heard the term Vaseline glass—a paler yellow variety of uranium glass named (with unfortunate accuracy) for its resemblance to petroleum jelly.

And here’s the fun part: uranium glass is still being produced today. Whether you’re tempted by antique vases, dainty tableware, or jewellery that glows under blacklight, there’s plenty to be found. Personally, I have my eye on a rather tempting necklace on eBay…

Thank you for reading—I hope you enjoyed your time in the History Nook today.

Until next time: stay curious, and keep warm.

🐾 A Footnote from Index: 🐾

Radioactive glass? Absolutely not. Humans already glow enough with their screens. Put that thing away before I have to knock it off the shelf.