One thing Cambridge Glass excelled at was using their popular etches on all their stem lines and blanks. It makes it a little more challenging when you seek a glass pattern because you have to be careful to get the right etch and the right shape. Let’s look at three different stem shapes that Cambridge used for many etched patterns.
First up is the 3121 shape. You’ll find Rose Point, Elaine, Portia and several more etches and cut designs on this shape. Here is the Rose Point water goblet.
Dave and I chose the 3121 shape for our Rose Point crystal. We like it and it is a little easier to find than the next shape, the 3500 shape. From what I’ve seen at antique stores and online the 3500 shape is the second most common shape. Look closely and you can see the difference between this and the 3121.
Let’s compare the 3121 and 3500 stem lines:
- Line 3121 has a triangular shaped stem. There are little nubs that run along the edges of the triangle and that hold a round ball near the base of the stem and rounded wafers at the top. The nubs make this easy to hold.
- Line 3500 has a bulbous wafer at the base and rounded wafer at the top. In between the stem looks like a column with a top wafer. There are grooves and little bumps that make this stem easy to hold too.
- Line 3121 bowl is more rounded than the 3500 shape. Both shapes flare out, but the 3121 is a gradual curve, more a classic shape than the 3500. The 3500 looks more angular.
Besides these two you may see Rose Point on several stem lines from Cambridge. Rose Point was one of their most successful and popular patterns.
Cambridge put Chantilly on different stem lines even though the production period overlapped that of Rose Point. Here is the 3625 shape. This is the only shape that I have had in our store, and I believe it to be one of the more readily found shapes.
You can see how graceful this 3625 stem is. The stem itself looks like it was draped in robes. Cambridge used this shape for Chantilly and also sold it as a plain goblet without an etch. I didn’t find any other decorations on this.
Cambridge made many, many more stem shapes than the three shown here. I wanted you to be aware that your favorite etches might be on several stem lines and also to show close ups of the wonderful artistic shapes and fine detail that were hallmarks of Cambridge designs.