My Favorite Glass Pattern is Floragold by Jeannette Glass

Floragold is a beautiful, marigold-color glass with a lacey, flowery, vine pattern. It is a very confusing type of glass for beginning glass collectors to identify, however. The Floragold pattern is often incorrectly referred to as Depression Glass. It is true that it is made in that tradition by Jeannette Glass Company, which also manufactured Depression glass in the 1920's and 1930's ¹, but Floragold dates from the 1950's ². Therefore, it is too modern to be considered Depression Glass.

To confuse matters even more, Floragold has an iridescent sheen, much like American Carnival Glass which was most popular and most heavily manufactured between 1908 and 1925 ¹ . Also, Floragold is almost identical to an earlier Carnival Glass pattern named, "Louisa" which was manufactured by Westmoreland Glass Company. This is not a coincidence! The Jeannette Glass Company purchased the Westmoreland Glass Company "Louisa" molds prior to releasing the Floragold Pattern in the 1950's ³. This is why the Floragold pattern is also commonly called Louisa today, although strictly speaking, Louisa pieces were made by Westmorland Glass Company much earlier than the Floragold pieces by Jeannette Glass Company.

Confused yet? Don't be!

Just remember that Floragold is much like the old Westmoreland Louisa pattern made of Carnival Glass, but Floragold is from the 1950's and manufactured by Jeannette Glass Company. If you compare the two patterns, you will notice that the original Louisa pattern is more pronounced and not as delicate and lacey as Floragold is.

Jeannette Glass Company was started in 1898 in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. They sold bottles for various drugs, drinks, food, and condiments, and then branched into pressed kitchenware in 1917. Jeannette Glass manufactured the most different patterns of Depression Glass during the 1920's and 1930's. They went out of business in 1983, so everything they made is a bit more valuable now ⁴.

Floragold was one of Jeannette Glass Company's most popular pattern glass lines. It is pretty, floral and feminine and made perfect kitchenware for all those newly prosperous post war 1950's households in the suburbs. Jeannette Glass made Floragold from 1950 to 1954 ². It came in 32 piece dinnerware sets including plates, tumblers, cups and saucers, and a platter, creamer, lidded sugar and long butter dish. Accessory pieces included a vase, round butter dish, large salad bowl, water pitcher, and compote. There were also fluted candy dishes made.

The Floragold pattern is becoming more and more collectible, and prices are creeping upward, especially for the hard to find accessory pieces. Personally, I have the large salad bowl (a coveted piece-yay!), the water pitcher, six tumblers, six cups, and the sugar bowl lid. Yes, that is not an extensive collection. The pieces I do have so far, however, are worth a total of roughly $200. I have not added to my collection as of late, but I should be on the look out, as deals are easier to find when economic times are tough and people are willing to take substantial price breaks to sell their items! If I had my wish, I would love to add the square dinner plates to my collection next! Or maybe the flower vase!

When the economy starts bubbling again, prices will only rise. As with many things I collect, however, I prefer passive treasure hunting. That is, it is more fun for me to stumble upon a piece of Floragold unexpectedly at auction or in a yard sale than to aggressively pursue the missing pieces of my collection! (So now you understand why I have that sugar bowl lid!)

Floragold is not Carnival Glass (1908-1925) and it is not Depression Glass (1920's to 1930's). So, Floragold is not the oldest glass pattern one can collect, but in my opinion, it certainly is one of the prettiest! I look for it wherever I find a yard sale or whenever I attend an auction. Who knows? This summer I just might find those dinner plates!

Sources:

1. NDGA - Article on Depression Glass Patterns, ndga.net/articles/krupeyarticle.htm
2. Portland's Rain of Glass, Inc., March 2007 newsletter, rainofglass.com/html/Newsletter%20Mar%2007_PROG%20website.pdf
3. Collectibles-General (Antiques): Floragold aka Louisa, en.allexperts.com/q/Collectibles-General-Antiques-682/Floragold-aka-Louisa-eapg.htm
4. Jeannette Glass Company, glassian.org/Prism/Jeannette/index.html