Jadeite comes from the mineral family which is synonymous with the famous jade. It entered the market during the start of the Great Depression and has been widely popular in the US since the middle of the 20th century. It was released into the market by three well-known companies; The Jeannette Glass Company, The McKee Company, and Anchor Hocking Company.
Most vintage Jadeite dishes are worth between $20 to $100. But keep in mind that certain larger or rarer pieces are valued between $200-$400, and sets can go for as high as $1000 or more.
These old pieces have turned into a popular choice for Interior decoration and a favorite by collectors, antique lovers, and many others. So let’s delve deeper into the worth of vintage jadeite.
How Much Are Vintage Jadeite Dishes Worth?
Vintage jadeite dishes are in high demand among collectors, antique enthusiasts, and culinary enthusiasts. The Mckee, Jeannette, and Anchor Hocking (Fire King) products are the most popular among them.
To add to their unique appeal, jadeite glass pieces produced by Jeannette and Mckee contained uranium, and therefore they will glow in the dark under a black light.
Fire-King jadeite pieces (made by Anchor-Hocking) were produced after 1942 and did not use uranium, so those pieces will not glow. However, Fire-King became the most popular producer of jadeite.
Below are lists of the several vintage jadeite dishes available, along with their prices.
- Decorative Mixing Bowls
These beautiful nesting mixing bowl sets which are a 1950 creation that consists of a rounded four-piece group. However, because it was manufactured for a short period, finding the entire set is extremely challenging. The full sets sell for $150- $250 or more on Etsy and Ebay.
There’s also a beautiful set of teardrop mixing bowls that sell for over $1,000 for the set of four as pictured above.
- Batter Bowl
One of the most popular vintage jadeite pieces is the batter bowl. The Fire King batter bowl has a single spout and handle and is worth $40-$80. McKee also made a batter bowl that did not have a handle.
- A Butter Dish
The Mckee lidded jadeite butter dish sells for around $200 or more, the Hazel-Atlas criss-cross butter dish sells for around $40-$60. Fire King also made a jadeite butter dish where only the bottom was jadeite and the top cover was clear glass which sells for $100-$200.
- Canisters
Mckee made a couple of styles of canister sets including a square style and a round style. They were made to be able to store culinary essentials like tea, sugar, flour, and coffee. Individual canisters are worth around $70 – $150 or more.
Jeannette Glass Company made a couple of styles of canister sets including a square style and a “beehive” ribbed style with metal lid. Individual canisters typically sell for $150-$250..
- Range Sets
Range Sets was introduced by Mckee and was created to be used for a quick sprinkle of pepper, salt, sugar, or flour. The complete set is worth around $200 or more.
How to Recognize Vintage Jadeite
There are several techniques to determine whether a piece of dishware is old vintage Jadeite or not.
1. Check for Trademarks
The Mckee, Jeannette, and Anchor Hocking glass companies are well-known producers of jadeite, and all three of these businesses have their trademarks incorporated somewhere on the tableware. Check for MCK at the bottom of the dishware to identify Mckee, while Anchor has a fire king oven glass inscribed on their products, and Jeannette has a letter J that can be found inside a triangle.
Dishware bearing these brand names can be found anywhere, and they are mostly vintages.
However, it is worth noting that not all of the jadeite objects have labels. Use a magnifying glass or pay great attention while shopping because some items were manufactured for advertising while others were just unmarked.
2. Find the Hue
Since the light green jade color is one of the distinguishing characteristics of jadeite dishware, any item that isn’t light green jade is typically not a jadeite piece. When you notice the hue, you can tell if it is a jadeite piece or not.
3. Look up the date
Always look for the manufacture date when purchasing a jadeite dish because the majority of them were created during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Between the 1940s and the 1970s, the Anchor Hocking Company also made a few sets of pieces.
4. Speak with an Appraiser
The ideal persons to hire when purchasing vintage jadeites are appraisers because they are knowledgeable about all things old and can recognize both marked and unmarked pieces of vintage jadeite.
5. Observe the structure
When purchasing vintage jadeite, be sure to look for these distinctive qualities because the weight of each jadeite dish is its greatest distinguishing attribute. Many of them are also far heavier than average and they frequently shine in the dark.
Where can I get the Vintage Jadeite Dishes?
- Estores
The ability for individuals and collectors to buy vintage items directly from their homes and have them delivered to their doorsteps anywhere in the world has increased through time and with the always-developing tech industry.
You may simply buy used items through the services offered by eBay, Etsy, Rubylane, and several other websites. Additionally, you may be confident that they are unique.
Through advertisements for wider distribution, the platform works with the vendors to promote these products.
The old dishes are now relatively simple to find and are available in many locations. You don’t have to fight for one. There are several old jadeite dishes around.
- Trade fairs
Another area to purchase dishes is at trade fairs, where vendors set up booths to display their wares for customers to examine and purchase. You can always find pieces of jadeite dishes, such as ball jugs or canisters, at trade fairs.
- Auctions
Online and offline auctions are among the greatest places to purchase vintage jadeite dishes, but during auctions, bidding is competitive and the item is sold to the highest bidder.
Below are a few auction sites you can check out
- Liveauctioneers
- Bodnarus
- Selkirk
- Invaluable
- Flea Market
You can purchase some of the jadeite objects, such as butter dishes, pitchers, ball jugs, or beaded mixing bowls, by going to the neighborhood or town’s nearest flea market.
- Estate Sales
If you’re looking for a jadeite piece nearby, you can also search estate sales, which are typically organized by the surviving family members of the deceased.
Are Vintage Jadeites Safe to Use?
If you have received a set of vintage Jadeite plates, which are distinguished by their distinctive deep green color, you might be unsure about whether you should use them for your upcoming dinner party. Many people are concerned about the safety of vintage Jadeite, especially in light of its lead content, usage, and microwave safety concerns. Due to these problems, many people are unsure whether Jadeite dishes are a secure and practical complement to their present kitchenware.
The amount of lead present in vintage Jadeite kitchenware is typically not severe enough to cause harm to you or your loved ones, although they will need special cleaning and may not be microwave safe.
The lead content of old Jadeite kitchenware is typically not high enough to endanger you or your loved ones, even if it will require special cleaning and may not be microwave safe.
Conclusion
Vintage jadeite dishes would be a great addition to your kitchen wares. The most common color of vibrant green dishware is usually found on vintage jadeite plates, and this is usually a favorite among collectors and is commonly used for interior designs. A single piece of vintage jadeite dishes can cost up to $20 to $100, while the sets cost up to $1000.
