Hi my name is andi mcclure.  Before you read this, I wanted to let my Dear Readers and Fellow Cobalt Lovers know, that this guide is from a beginner and I am running on bits of info acquired completely from other peoples' knowledge and I have never had a reason to check on it, now I do.  The below "story" is what I currently know, which is very little, but interesting and I think I'm an entertaining writer anyway, so you won't be able to help yourself :).  So here is a bit for now and withing 24 hours of the writing of this review, I will actually know a lot more about what I'm talking about.  So fair warning, it's long, but interesting and will just get better.  Enjoy!

 I am new to selling on the net, I just started getting very interested about a month ago and I have been learning ever since. . . . and it has been quite a positive learning experience.  I used to wonder how people could get so involved in their computers and now I have a full understanding as to why.

Ever since I can remember, my favorite color has been blue, any shade of blue, doesn't matter what it is, as long as it is blue.  It wasn't until I left home that I noticed Cobalt blue (why the sudden dawning, I don't know), glass, cloth, paint, prints, whatever, the color draws me.  Then I realized how wonderfully Cobalt blue and black go together, so i decided that everything i bought from that point out would be CB & B, depending on the item, if not available in cobalt, black or both and whether or not those colors are appropriate for certain items.  If that makes sense, use your imagination.

I began snagging up anything CB glass, when I could afford it.  I worked in a gift shop for awhile and picked up some damaged pieces for nothing, but had I had to buy it the item(s) were only $4or $5 anyway.  Then I met my husband, and he wooed me with some real glass pieces.  Vases, bowls, globes, figurines, etc. and he would take me to pick the items myself and watch with pleasure as I turned into a kid in a candy store.  I could spend hours choosing just the right piece and the shop I would buy it from, specialized in mostly CB glass.  Just when I thought that cobalt was cobalt, I found out that there is another material they make "CB" glass with:  Crystal Sapphire.  CS can be the same shade(s) as CB, but it is not CB mineral.  It is actually the CS mineral.  Science has found bigger and not necessarily better ways to use the cobalt mineral, so glass manufacturers cranked out as much CB pieces as they could before they were shut down on obtaining the actual mineral.  This information was related to me by a shop owner on the Oregon Coast and I realize she is trying to sell her stuff, so I'm not actually sure how true the statement above is.  Until now, I never had a reason to care about the difference between CB and CS, but I never  thought I would be selling it and I wanted to be able to tell my good paying customers EXACTLY what I am selling them. 

I did know that there were such minerals as Cobalt and Crystal Sapphire, in fact, the braces i wore on my teeth for a year were made from CS and they were clear, that was why I chose them because they are less noticeable.  Then Cobalt mineral I learned in school on mineral chart or whatever that chart is that shows H2O and so on.  So of course there is a difference.  But how to tell if the CB piece you just bought is CB or CS?  It was explained to me, but I am not happy with that explanation.  The candy dish/bowl I have listed on my ebay site is cobalt blue.  I do have a CS piece or 2.

I realize this is an abrupt ending, but I have homework on these subjects:  Cobalt mineral, it's uses, and is glass still being made with it.  Crystal Sapphire and it's uses and how to tell the difference between the CB and the CS.  I will also be researching the difference between CB, CS or is the glass just blue through another method. 

I am going to put some more of my CB and CS pieces on ebay and it will be specified as to which is which.  My intentions are to provide friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and honest customer service.  I hope to hear from you, Dear Reader and look forward to serving you!

This will be updated as I learn more about my favorite color and mineral, COBALT!  Thanx again for you attention.

Andi McClure