I was hoping you might be able to help me out. I'm trying to reach a web page or a collector who knows something about Black amethyst. I have a few nice pieces I would like to sell, but have no idea of their collectors value or what exactly Black amethyst is. Like in what period of time was Black amethyst popular or where do they come from? If you could help me with this question, I would love to hear from you.

-- Glenda Worden (RWGW4@aol.com), February 12, 1999

Answers

Black amethyst is generally thought of as glass from the Depression Era which appears black, but when held to the light shows amethyst coloring. It was made by many companies, with Tiffin, L.E. Smith, and Westmoreland among some of the largest producers. There is at least one book on black glass and as I recall that's the title. Plain pieces are sometimes more difficult to identify, but those with patterns like L.E. Smith's distinctive dancing girls were only made by them.

-- Dori Miles, Pattern Glass Historian (dori@capital.net), May 07, 1999.