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August 21, 2009 09:29:33
Posted By Inktiques / Michelle Greysen
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Carrying a simple keychain size black light on your next antique hunt could prove to be a valuable tool. Most people know that certain older glass will glow under the black light but it can also reveal many other authenticating tricks used by the antique appraisal experts including age, imperfections or damage.
The magic of the black light is that it will cause certain properties to fluoresce in a chemical reaction when put under the ultraviolet light. By targeting the light at a certain spot on an item the intensity is increased resulting in a high saturation of colors making things visible that were not before. This beam of ultraviolet light when directed for example at art work can reveal proof of restoration or repairs that may have taken place over time as the chemistry of modern paint will glow on the canvass, and would then greatly affect the value of the item.
In art glass, porcelain and pottery on detailed inspection in a dark room the black light beam will reveal cracks and chips that may not have been visible under the naked eye in the daylight. The green glassware of the depression era as well as Vaseline glass made with uranium oxide will seem to glow under the black light where as the whiter old glass will appear a yellowish tone with the results on old glass glowing at a different intensity to modern reproduction glass which does not glow or has a faint whitish blue tinge. The finish on the older porcelain will not glow but its modern reproductions will chemically react and light up under the black light as will the newer glues in any glass repair.
In the area of ephemera collecting the use of chemical and dyes in the modern papers will create a glow under the light whereas most old paper up to the 1930’s era will not light up making it an easy test for the vast number of reproductions in the paper collecting world. Old postcards and photographs will not reflect off the light but new ones will shine.
Fibres and textiles will also react under the beam of the black light although this area is less revealing to the appraiser. A vintage fabric may not glow like a modern chemical laced fabric but washing it in modern detergents can leave traces of glowing chemicals when placed under the light bringing inconclusive results of authenticity of age.
Original old cast iron does not glow but its modern counterpart and the new paints will react under the light as will new repairs on an old cast weld. The old tin toys of the turn of the century were made of cast but the tell tale sign will be when the modern paint in the reproduction glows.
So pocket yourself a black light and take it with you on your next adventure remembering that it can be revealing but is also only one of many tools of knowledge you will acquire over time as you grow passionate about collecting.
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