** FRUIT JARS OVER-COOKED **

There has been a growing controversy among fruit jar and other bottle collectors on the appearance of glass that has been irradiated to "color enhance" the glass. In other words, the glass has been artificially treated to obtain the color. These jars (and or bottles) are usually seen in an extremely dark purple or a smoky, brownish amber color, when the Selenium was used as a decolorizer. Understand that these are common old jars which someone has treated to increase the price. The jars are indeed old, but they were originally clear in color. It is important to note that some would say the process is NOT artificial, the color change of the glass would happen over time from being exposed to the sun. Yes, that is true. But, in today's market, this process has hastened by man-made intervention which makes it altered or artificially color enhanced.

It was discovered years ago that some clear glass jars (and or bottles) would turn to a light amethyst when exposed to the rays of the sun. It was then discovered that one could speed up this process of sun induced color by using a fluorescent light called a germicidal lamp. These lamps emit high amounts of UV rays causing the manganese in the glass to react and absorb all the visible light of the spectrum, except violet. This is why you see the shade of a light purple. There are also examples found in an extremely dark purple, which are not from years of sunlight. These darker examples require more intense radiation to UV or gamma rays of the germicidal lamps.

Collectors refer to the method of iridation with the term "nuking." One example is hospital sterilizing equipment. Another example seen in today's market involves moving jars through a sterilization chamber found in meat processing facilities, which uses cobalt 60 to expose the meat to kill off bacteria. This process is equivalent to 3,000,000 chest x-rays. Other examples of irradiation are known to exist, too.

One good way to know if a jar has been "nuked" or not is looking at the lid. If the jar has a glass lid or insert that matches to color exactly, it's an indication both were treated together. Most glass lids were made totally independent of their containers, usually of a totally different batch of glass.

What has affected the jar collecting hobby over the years is the nuking of jars for deception. When someone pays a high price for a jar that is a lovely purple, a hundred more could be colored in the same manner. In only a matter of minutes. Don't be a victim of this new color changing process. Know your material. Know your jars. Use good judgement. If you think it's been "nuked," you're probably right!