Everyone knows how old and rare glass antiques are! But one glass that’s seemingly becoming more collectible these days is milk glass! Why, you ask? Well, people love this white beauty for its hand-blown marks and pigments. But it’s not just that!
Old milk glass pieces rose in Italy in the 1500s. They carry that European aura that makes them more desirable. Also, since there was less trade, they were really rare worldwide. Want such rare milk glass pieces? Use this guide to learn their costs and more!
Key Takeaways
- Rare milk glass pieces have original stamps, pigments, hand-molded elements, and abstract designs.
- If you want vintage milk glass jewelry, get the Miriam necklace, bib-style choker, or Trifari’s floral neckband.
- Not all milk glass pieces are plain white. Some of them, like the Baccarat vases, Hobnail cake plate, and Punch bowl sets, cost more due to their textures!
- Political milk glass pieces like Mckinley & Roosevelt’s portrait plate cost more due to their presidential campaigns and signs.
Key Identification Features of Old Milk Glass Pieces
Most common milk glass pieces are opaque, polished, and white. But, with the rare models, you can also expect some pigments, patterns, and designs. So, let’s check those details:
- Natural, hand-mixed dyes – Black, Pink, Red & Blue
- Abstract or Character shapes – Shells, Ballet, Foxes, or even the Happy Buddha
- Regional, artistic designs – Flowers, Tulips, Persian carvings, or Villas
- Intricate, hand-carved patterns like hobnail or marble glass
- Original maker’s marks, logos, or trade receipts at the base
Such old milk glass pieces are worth around $20 – $100 today, with rare, antique pieces fetching up to $10,000, depending on their type, pattern, color, and finish. Usually, hobnail and hand-pigmented yellow, red, and green pieces cost more than others.
15 Highly Valuable & Rare Milk Glass Pieces to Find!
Now let’s see some rare milk glass pieces, their costs, and the features that make them so valuable:
1. Cristalleries De Baccarat Vases
Who doesn’t love branded and foreign pieces? But, with Cristalleries De Baccarat, it’s double the fun! This one’s a set of two vases, each with superior milk glass and brass seams. Plus, collectors love their polychrome motifs – ducks, saws, and egrets too.
Rare & Peculiar Features:
- Translucent white or cream-colored walls with a signed Baccarat mark
- Rare Japonisme motifs, metal finishes, and 3D designs
- A silica, lead, soda, and lime mix for better clarity and ringing
| Average Price (Used) | $14,500 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1860 – 1869 (Napolean Style) |
| Brand | Cristalleries De Baccarat |
| Place of Origin | France |
Try to get Christalleries de Baccarat Vases with their original turtle feet or Ormolu mold marks for better returns.
2. Salocchi Opal Glass Zea Floor Lamp
The Zea Floor Lamp is a minimal, natural piece for all the modern hunks out there! It has five overlapping and locking parts, just like a flower bud. Besides, it’s more futuristic than the other 1960s lamps and gives soft, diffused light. So, collectors just flip over this one!
Top & Collectible Features:
- Unique mid-century modern design with a round metal base and opal stacks on top
- Regional, based in Milan
| Rough Price (Used) | $7,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1970 – 1979 |
| Brand | Lumenform (Designed by Salocchi) |
3. Pair Match Murano Milk Glass Chandeliers
If you love intricate carvings, this Murano Chandelier is for you! This one’s obviously rare because of its small, hand-blown shapes and stems. But what makes it even more desirable are the gold-plated seams on top. It also has more shades and rings than others.
More Exclusive Features:
- Six E12 bulbs on a single, central ring
- Hand-sculpted scrolls, leaves, or other carvings on the metal ring
- 60-watt power with an original one-year warranty
| Average Price (Used) | $2,500 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1960 |
| Brand | Barovier & Toso, Vistosi & Salviati |
Look for Murano chandeliers with smooth, ribbed, or frosted textures for a rare make.
4. Miriam Haskell Milk Glass Necklace
Want some vintage jewelry? Look no further than this long and carved necklace from Miriam! It has hand-wired round, oval, or floral beads and metal scrolls at the top. So, this one’s quite sturdy and shiny. Also, it has gold-plated spacers and stones, making it even more special!
Top & Rare Traits:
- Glass beads with hand-embossed rhinestone, crystal, metal, or pearl designs
- Simple hook, spring, box, or toggle necklace clasp at the back
- Original hang tags with the brand’s sign and patent number
| Estimated Cost (Used) | $800 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1950 – 1970 |
| Brand | Miriam Haskell |
5. Octagonal Punch Bowl Set
Punch bowl is a lovely, octagonal drinkware set you won’t want to miss! It looks glossier than others and has a unique silver polish that saves damage. Plus, this one has 13 pieces, including bowls, cups, and ladders. Also, it’s heavier, weighing up to 3 pounds.
How to Spot Them?
- Simple, tapered, and scalloped edges with a crude hob-nail pattern
- 4-ounce ladles with a deep 3 quarts bowl and small 5-ounce cups
- Smooth inner panels and coarse outer panels
| Rough Cost (Used) | $500 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1950 |
| Brand | Fenton |
6. Duck on Reeds Candy Dish
The Duck on Reeds dish is a realistic milk glass piece with reed plates and a duck lid. You can also spot it by its clear, glossy glaze, sliding candy spaces, and country-style themes.
Unique & Collectible Features:
- Hand-molded or machine-embossed eyes, feathers, and bills
- High capacity of 8-ounce candies
- Unique marketing tags of the ‘Opalware Super Decorated Series’
| Average Cost (Used) | $400, new-edition ones cost up to $70 |
| Making Year | 1902 |
| Brand | Atterbury & Co |
Avoid getting pieces with cool white or bluish walls, as those might be new and forged. Instead, look for glass with an aged yellow patina.
7. Miriam Bib Style Choker Necklace
Another Miriam necklace for you all! But this one’s a choker with bib chains, cascading beads, and gold-plated clasps. Plus, this bib choker has iridescent glass, which means it changes its hue as per the light. Crazy, isn’t it?
Unique Characteristics:
- 16-inch long chains with a clear, glossy finish
- Bib-style choker with a dramatic, full-coverage pendant
- Extra accessories like layers, fringes, dangles, or clusters
| Average Cost (Used) | $400 |
| Making Year | 1930 – 1950 |
| Brand | Miriam Haskell |
8. Trifari Milk Glass Necklace & Earrings
Trifari’s necklace is another valuable milk glass jewelry collectible. Unlike Miriam’s oval beads, this has sculpted floral pendants and polished gold borders that make it stand out. And collectors just love this one for its easy clip-on earrings, gold swirls, and original signs.
Rare & Special Features:
- Double-strand white beads with a glass cabochon pendant
- Signed Crown Trifari marks and gold embossed logos
- Round, Blunt, and gold-toned metal clasps
| Estimated Value (Used) | $380 – 400 |
| Making Year | 1930 – 1960 |
| Brand | Trifari |
9. White Milk Glass Punch Bowl
If simple round bases and fluted rims are your thing, this white punch bowl will surely impress you! You can easily spot this one by its embossed ivy designs, thick rims, and bumped edges. Also, you might see original panels, pedestal bases, and grooved handles that hike the cost further.
Top & Special Features:
- Might have pigmented Blue, Green & Yellow walls
- Original signed logos with a stylized W and G at the base
| Rough Price (Used) | $300, forged ones cost up to $40 |
| Making Year | 1940 – 1960 |
| Brand | Westmoreland |
10. Hazel Atlas Dots Mixing Bowls
Dot mixing bowls are one of the most colorful and funkiest milk glass products. They come with a white base and raised dots for a textured effect. In fact, you’ll also see some typical US base patterns and curved seams. So, they are rare and regional too!
More Exclusive Features:
- Bold color pigments – Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Brown
- Rolled rims with a triangular pattern at the bottom
- Shallow walls with a 1-quart liquid capacity
| Estimated Cost (Used) | $280 – 300 |
| Making Year | 1950 |
| Brand | Hazel Atlas |
11. Islamic Calligraphy Lassi Glass
If you thought that all the rare milk glass pieces have a brand, you might be wrong! Take any local but vintage hand-carved lassi glass! You’ll surely spot some superior Islamic motifs and molded brass seams that hike costs. Also, look for workshop or artist stamps to track them!
Unique Features:
- Regional, artisanal inscriptions – flowers, vines, birds, and calligraphy motifs
- Rounded edges, curved seams, and a funnel-like shape
| Estimated Cost | $280 – 300 |
| Making Year | 1950s |
| Brand | Locally-made by old shops and artisans |
12. Hobnail Cake Plate
Bored with typical dinner sets and vases? These unique, pressed milk glass cake plates would suit you well! You’ll easily spot this one by its hobnail patterns, bumps, and knobs. But keep an eye on the textured seams and ruffled edges for more value!
Top & Unique Traits:
- Round, Pedestal plate with about 9 – 10 inches diameter and ruffled edges
- Unique mold or pressed glass marks at the base
| Estimated Value (Used) | $120 – 150 |
| Release Year | 1950 |
| Brand | Fenton |
13. Mckinley & Roosevelt Milk Glass Portrait Plate
If you are a political freak, here’s a signed milk glass piece from President Roosevelt’s political campaign. To spot this one, look for bust portraits of Sir McKinley and Roosevelt at the center and floral borders on top. Also, check for ruffled blue glaze edges and rims.
Collectible Features:
- Transfer print designs with a reddish-brown dye
- Open work rims and meshed designs
| Estimated Value (Used) | $100 – 150, as per condition |
| Release Year | 1900 |
| Brand | Fenton Glass Company |
14. Pepe & Carols Ribbed Milk Glass Pendant Light
This one’s a rare promotional pendant light from Pepe & Carols. So, it’s highly decorated with all those wall flutes and ribs. Also, this one costs more because of its frosted finish, brass hardware, and a limited number of 600 – 700 pieces.
Rare & Unique Features:
- Hand-forged chain with black copper and brass finishes
- Hand-blown lamps with a crude and irregular shape
| Rough Cost (Used) | $100 – 120 |
| Release Year | 2000 |
| Brand | Pepe & Carols |
15. Fostoria Pink Milk Glass Ashtray
This Fostoria Pink Milk glass is a literal wonder with its hand-pigmented pink glass, meshed rims, and grooved centers. So, it’s more lined and delicate than others. And since it’s wholly hand-molded, this one has less than 700 pieces, making it rare today!
Special Traits:
- Lined surface and a continuous looped illusion at the center
- Smooth, curved rounded edges and a flat base for stability
| Rough Cost (Used) | $60 – 70 |
| Release Year | 1950 |
| Brand | Fostoria Glass Company |
Old milk glass pieces are certainly hard to get! But these yield the best returns if they have rare pigments, shapes, and hobnail patterns as those above. And if you already have such a rare piece, use this guide to spot and value it rightly!
But if you want to identify your colored designer crockery, explore my other detailed guide on rare Corningware patterns!’
