Princess Topaz Yellow Depression Glass Cup

I’ve shown you a lot of pink lately.  Pink Mayfair, pink Sharon, pink Princess.  Let’s enjoy sunshine yellow for a change.

This is the Princess topaz yellow cup from Hocking. Hocking produced two distinct shades of topaz, this yellow and a gold toned apricot color that is darker. Today, 80 years after, no one quite knows whether Hocking intended to make two different colors, or they simply had problems with a few batches of color. Hocking had no problem with their yellow glass for other patterns, like Block Optic or Cameo.

Yellow depression glass is well-mannered and looks great with the other colors. I like to use yellow to brighten a table of pink or green glass as it adds such a cheery touch. The yellow depression glass is transparent and soft toned, nothing harsh or strident. You won’t see yellow elbowing the other colors out. I’ve used yellow with several different patterns in tablescapes and am always pleased with how well it gets along with the other colors. It’s almost as if the makers intended us to set rainbow tables!

Just to give you pink lovers your daily dose of rosey hue, here is the same cup in pink.

Princess Pink Depression Glass Cup

We have both the topaz yellow and pink Princess depression glass cups in our store Cat Lady Kate’s Elegant and Depression Glass and in our eBay store Vintage Elegant Depression Glass.

Right now we’re running coupon sales in our store.  You can get up to 20% off on your order.

Coupon code All10 takes 10% off any order.  Code Christmas201110 takes 15% off your order over $50 and Christmas2011 takes 20% off your order over $100.  Plus all orders over $100 qualify for free shipping.  Please be sure to indicate free standard shipping when you check out so I know you want that method.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your glass!

Princess Green Depression Glass Oval Platter

We’ve seen the lovely Princess in pink but this is the first post about green Princess.  I bought a large set of Princess pink depression glass a couple years ago and have been able to show several pieces off in blog posts and tablescape for you.  We have gotten our stock of green Princess one or two at a time and it’s danced out of our store quickly.

Hocking made Princess in green and it’s the perfect color for this charming pattern.  Can you see the scroll design on the rim?  On some pieces that looks like the curtain at a theater.  The platter has little molded tufts between the scrolls by the handle and the other sections have enough clear glass that you don’t see the curtain motif.

I like the big feathery motif in the center.  Look closely and you can see it’s all small swags but stand back a bit and you see feathers.  Princess wears many illusions!

I recently started rephotographing some of the glass in our store.  Our old photos are clear and pretty but they don’t expand well since they were low resolution.  I hope you like the larger format pictures.

A quick reminder about our newsletter.  I publish this every two weeks on Sunday afternoon and it includes lots of pictures, a story about a featured glass topic, a pattern, our newest listings and links to the latest depression glass videos.  Yesterday’s edition covered teal glass of the depression era.  (Did you know there were only a couple teal patterns?)

As a thank you for subscribing we will send you a Depression Glass Photo Identification Guide.  Please click here, www.DepressionGlassNews.com, to sign up.  Of course it is free and we take your privacy seriously.

Block Optic Green Depression Glass Angled Handle Cup

Block Optic Green Depression Glass Plain Handle Cup

Take a good look at these two cups. Both are Block Optic green depression glass from Hocking but see the difference in the handles?  The one on the left is called a pointed handle cup and the one on the right is the plain handle.  The differences are subtle and you may be happy with either.

For some reason Hocking went a little overboard with Block Optic cups, creamers and sugars.  There are 6 cups shapes.  Four of these are like the ones shown, round body with handles being fancy scroll, plain point, fancy point as shown and plain as shown.  Another shape is squarish like a mug the last is more triangular.

I’ve seen all of the first four with round body shapes, and have never seen the other two.  As long as you don’t particularly care which handle type you get there are a lot of Block Optic cups available.  If you prefer only one type then either of the two shown are about the most common, at least here in mid-Michigan.

Hocking made multiple shapes of creamers and sugars and we’ll cover that another time.

Shopping information:  We carry Block Optic depression glass in our eBay store Vintage Elegant Depression Glass.   It’s like antiquing with your best friend.

Moonstone Opalescent Hobnail Depression Glass Vase

Whew.  Back to glass from a quick foray into china.  I like glass and I bet you do too.  This pattern is called Moonstone and it is a later version of Hocking Glass’ Hobnail pattern.

Hocking made their Hobnail pattern during the depression (1934 to 1936) in pink, clear, clear with red trim and some pieces in ruby.  Moonstone came later, from 1942 to 1946, mostly in clear glass with white opalescent glass on the edges and tips of the hobnails.  There are a few pieces listed in green, which I’ve not seen in person but which look great in pictures.

Moonstone came in a small dinnerware set, with plates, cups, goblets, creamer and sugar.  It’s interesting that it does not have some of the basic serving pieces we see in other patterns; for example the large serving bowl is pretty small, more decorative than the bowls you would use to serve a huge mound of mashed potatoes.

On the flip side, you can see there is a Moonstone vase, a cigarette box (which makes a super holder for Post It (TM) notes or cards, a puff box, toothpick holder, relish tray.  It is almost as if Hocking was torn between making decorative glass and dinnerware glass and compromised.

Moonstone is a pretty pattern.  You can check my listings here in my store Cat Lady Kate’s Elegant and Depression Glass, or check eBay affiliate link for a larger selection from other sellers.

Pillar Optic Green Depression Glass Lunch Plate

Hocking’s Pillar Optic is one of the patterns that you might be surprised to learn is depression glass.  Hocking made it in green and pink  from 1937 to 1942, and continued with either the same or very similar molds for clear tumblers for many years afterwards.   You’ve probably seen the clear tumblers in restaurants.

This is a super simple pattern.  It has vertical panels, about 1/2 inch wide, and a smooth band around the top.  Plates and bowls have the panels making a concentric circle around the rim and in the center.

Pillar Optic is one of the more affordable depression glass patterns.  For instance, we offer a set of two green plates for $12 and even tumblers are usually under $20.

Hazel Atlas New Century is a little similar but New Century has horizontal lines at the tops of tumblers – or around the outer edge on plates – and it has a more intricate center.  New Century looks more Art Deco styled and you aren’t likely to mistake it.