Welcome to a very specific niche collecting hobby! Everyone who visits antique shops and flea markets has their own special thing they keep their eye out for, whether that be watches, creepy dolls, oil paintings, or instruments, or any of the millions of types of things out there. But this one is a bit more on the dangerous side, but have no fear! Keep in mind that I am no expert and are always learning.
As long as you know what you are doing, you will be okay. Keep in mind that levels above background radiation will never be 100% safe.
It is important to highlight this because safety comes first. If you have skeptical parents, spouces, or roommates, place their peace of mind over this. Radiation has been painted such a dangerous and scary thing, and not everyone would be comfortable with the idea that you have radioactive dishes sitting around your house. It is what it is.
Now that you know a little bit about this, where do you start? Antique shops, faires, flea markets, and secondhand stores are great places to start your collection. Start out with a more low-end piece, something that is $5 to $15. Test the waters and find what you like. Watch out for broken or damaged pieces, and especially do not purchase radium face clocks with missing face glass (more on this here). Once you find what you like, start searching for more!
Make sure that you take home pieces carefully. Radioactive materials such as glass containing uranium and any sort of radium dust or paint can NOT be placed in the trash to avoid placing trash handlers in danger (more on this here). Once you have safetly taken your pieces home, it may be time for a cleaning. Here are the guides on how to clean Uranium glass and Radium clocks.
This is the most important section that you could read. You only get one body!
With something like this, it is important to keep in mind the situation that you will be placing yourself in. You are choosing to expose your self to heightened (although very slightly heightened) radiation levels. But have no fear. Take a look around your house. Do you have brick walls? Do you have a bunch of bananas sitting in your kitchen? What about granite countertops? Do you occasionally play ping pong in your basement? What about the smoke detector on your ceiling? (you should probably change the batteries in it, by the way) Have you stepped outside to bask in the sun's rays? All of these these very common things release radiation, in whatever form it may be. Radiation is all around you, all the time, everywhere. Even the human body contains radioactive elements and isotopes. Now that you know this, understand that radiation isn't simply a one time deal. The effects of radiation are accumulative and happen over time. Just because you collect radioactive antiques does not mean that you are bound to get cancer when you are older. While radiation can cause cancer, what you are doing here is not enough to cause the active breakdown of your body. Here you will find some links to guides, facts and figures, and other resources.
Safety for collecting uranium glass
Out of the two (uranium glass and radium clocks), uranium glass is generally more safe to collect. This is because the radioactive material is encased within the glass. (Except for Fiestaware, which uses a higher concentration of DU in its glaze) If you are really worried about safety, this is the option you should choose. But again, it truly is up to you what you do with your money. But anyways, uranium glass has a few drawbacks. Primarily, its breakability. It is very easy to break a plate by dropping it, bumping it off a table or any other sort of accident. This is not something that you want to do. Glass can potentially just shatter anywhere. It breaks into big pieces but also smaller little shards, even some small enough to become airborne. For obvious reasons, you dont want glass or radioactive material in your lungs. Or in your foot, for that matter. If you happen to drop a uranium dish, do everything in your power to make sure that you clean all of it up. Good, you have cleaned up all of the pieces, but wait!! It is both illegal and unsafe to dispose of this into a normal trashcan. Reference your local hazardous waste department or service to find specific rules and procedures, but I recommend placing every shard and all dust you can collect in a sealed container such as a tupperware or a sharps box. Again, even if you have placed the waste in a container, do not place it in your trash can. One might be tempted to eat off of these beautiful dishes. The beautiful colors may be tempting! But do not eat or drink on or off of uranium glass or Fiestaware. Contamination is inevitable. Radiation can leech into food and irradiate it. Plus, use of these in the process of eating causes wear, and that is something you want to avoid. Finally, ensure that your pieces are securely and properly displayed. Click here for a guide on how to properly display your beautiful pieces!
Safety for collecting radium clocks
Radium clocks are dazzling but a little bit more unsafe to collect. First of all, it is crucial that you choose pieces that are in good condition. DO NOT pick up any broken clocks, bare faces, or heavily damaged pieces. When looking for pieces you want ones with fully intact glass plates and sturdy gear compartments. This simply because radium paint tends to flake as it ages. It flakes off and could possibly collect in a pile (for lack of a better word) in the bottom of the face. When the glass plate is broken or removed, this radium has the potential to become airborne. If radium enters your body, your body will mistake it for calcium and deposit it straight into your bones. This is because of the chemical similarities of calcium and radium. (More on this here). While this is not permanent and your will not retain it forever, it is not an ideal situation to be in. This must be avoided at all costs. For example, my Jerger clock (you can see it here!) has a DEAD BETTLE EXOSKELETON under the glass because I am not going to be taking the glass plate off. (I should name the dude... leave your name suggestions for the bettle in the guestbook) Finally, if you are going to collect more than one or two of these, you should probably look into buying a radon detector. Uranium decays into radon, which is a gas that is can become an indoor pollutant. (More on this here) A radon detector would simply let you know if levels are becoming hazardous. Its also important to make sure that your collection is well ventilated. Open the window from time to time to allow the buildup of radon to vent.
Uranium glass is any glass containing uranium in the glass itself or the glaze, or another component in the item. Uranium glass is not strictly dining ware, it is also found in decorative and ornamental pieces. It comes in a few varities, including vaseline/depression, custard/canary, jadite, Fiestaware, and burmese. Uranium oxide or depleted uranium is used in these as a coloring agent.
Vaseline/Depression variety
Vaseline or Depression glass was produced during 1929 - 1939, and mass produced cheaply in the United States and Canada. Some varieties were distributed for free or used as promotional items for other products- such as finding a beautiful little creamer dish in your new box of Quaker Oats. Production of uranium glass generally ceased (although some manufacturers continued to make uranium glass through to the 70s- when it was collectively ceased) in the 40s and 50s when government-mandated confiscations of uranium happened to support the Manhattan Project. Not all varieties of Depression glass contains uranium, but vaseline glass does. Vaseline glass so because of the color similarity to petroleum jelly- a creamy yellow or green leaning color. It is transparent or translucent (although not opaque- that's jadite). Below is an image of vaseline glass.
Custard/Canary variety
Custard or canary glass is also depression glass. But instead of being a transparent or translucent green, it is a shade of yellow or warm yellow green. Just like vaseline glass, it was distributed mainly as a marketing gimmick in the Depression. Below is an image of canary glass. Note its color compared to vasline glass! Despite its different color under normal light, it glows a lovely green underneath black light.
Jadite
Jadite glass is very similar to vaseline, except it is opaque in color. It is a beautiful mint color. Be careful when searching for Jadite glass- for reproductions in a similar color are very common to find. (Those shabby chic mfs-) Below is an image of Jadite glass.
Fiestaware
Fiestaware is a line of ceramic dinnerware made by the Homer Laughlin Company. It comes in various sets, colors and varieties. Usually when one thinks of radioactive Fiestaware, the color radioactive red may come to mind. But other colors contain depleted uranium in the glaze. Fiestaware contains about 4.5 grams of uranium per average dish- which is perhaps more concentrated than other varieties of uranium glass. Eating off of nothing but Fiestaware over the course of a year will make you ingest 0.21 grams of uranium according to the Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity. Keep in mind that just because some random dish is this specific color, that does not mean it is radioactive. Modern dishes of this color will not contain uranium oxide. There is also a modern version of radioactive red from Fiestaware, who still makes dishes to this day. Here is an image of a Fiestaware set. The orange color is very beautiful!
Burmese variety
Burmese glass was produced starting in the late 1800s. It is a very lovely yellow and soft pink, usually some sort of gradient. Burmese glass is usually decorative- vases, jars and ornaments. Like Jadite glass, you find yourself coming across reproductions or decorative glass of the same color sceme. You can protect yourself from fakes by bringing a blacklight flashlight with you when hunting! Here is an image of Burmese glass.
Radium clocks are clocks made in largely in the early 1900s, which was a time when radiation poisoning was not known about. After Marie Curie discovered a new element, radium in 1898, the radium craze popped up. Radium was appearing everywhere in consumer products and beyond- and radium laced paint was used to illuminate clock and airplane instrument dials. But as the effects of radium and the production of products containing it was realized, radium began to phase out. It was entirely given up by the 1970s for tritium instead- a safer alternative that serves the same purpose. The green glow caused by radium paint is referred to as radioluminescence. When collecting radium face clocks, I recommend using a geiger counter such as a CDV700 to easily differenciate from radium clocks and clocks painted with other luminescent paints such as tritium, a hydrogen isotope or simply glow in the dark paint. When radium decays, it decays into radon, which then decays into polonium and lead. Unfortunately, radon is a significant indoor pollutant and a cause of lung cancer in significant levels. While having a couple clocks will be under a safe level, if you are unsure about this threat, then I suggest collecting tritium clocks instead. Tritium clocks are clocks manufactured at a later time period than radium face ones, and are significantly safer than them, too. Tritium only has a half life of 12.5 years, which is much shorter than radium's approximately 1600 year half life. Most tritium clocks that you will find will be mostly decayed already because of their age. Also, tritium decays into helium, which is much safer than radium's decay product of radon gas.
Once you have started your collection, where are you going to put all of this stuff?? You must find a functional and beautiful place to put all of your pieces that you have now. It also is important to make a setup that is secure and safe. First, location. Do not put your display directly somewhere you spend much of your time, such as next to your bed. Don't sleep where you have radioactive items. Find a place where you do not sit next to for a large amount of your day. Second, I don't recommend having your items stacked on a side table or a dresser, somewhere where items could easily be knocked off and broken. A glass case or secure shelf is ideal. For example, I have a glass display case for my pieces that is secure. If something were to hit the case, the case would break first, which you want. Third, your lighting is important! If you want to witness the true beauty of all of your glass and clocks, you need a black light! The black light causes all of your pieces to luminesce, after all. Consider buying some black light strips over bulbs, for strips would light up collections of multiple pieces more thoroughly. The image below is not my collection, but an example of a very good setup.
Here are some links to resources that I recommend you read. This also includes sites that have been referenced in above sections, too. This will be added to at any time I feel like I come across something important or helpful!
