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| Cambridge produced over 70 colors during their 57 years of production. It often becomes confusing to determine the proper color due to the similarity of certain colors and of the factory's usage of the same name, sometimes to identify three different colors. This chart was created to assist you in understanding what each color actually looks like. We will continue to add examples as we obtain additional items. Please click on color name, in Blue, to see an actual example of that color. | ||
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Color | Years | Description |
| Almond | mid 1930s | Special Treatment of Amber items. One side acid treated for a satin finish, the other side untouched. |
| Alpine | * | Not a Color. A special satin finish used on specific design portions the Caprice pattern. This treatment can be found on most colors in this pattern. |
| Amber, Early | 1903 | lifeless medium deep transparent. |
| Amber | 1924 | transparent deep brown color. Name changed to Amber-Glo in 1926 |
| Amber, Late | 1955-1958 | change in formula produced a darker color then previous color.. Not used in same patterns as before |
| Amber-Glo | * | Refer to Amber |
| Amethyst | February 1931 | deep dark transparent burgundy or amethyst. |
| Avocado | 1927-1928 | rich yellowish opaque green |
| Aurora | * | refer to Cobalt Blue 1 |
| Azurite | 1922 | light blue opaque. Some areas may show white streaking |
| Blue | 1903 | transparent blue. confirmed examples are currently unavailable |
| Bluebell | 1926-1930s | transparent medium dark blue with considerable sparkle. appears darker in thicker glass. The color was re-introduced in the late 1940's with the Cascade line. |
| Blue Cloud | October 1956 | light blue flakes in a crystal body. See also Mardi Gras color |
| Carmen | February 1931 | deep dark transparent full bodied red, sometimes with color variations towards yellows. |
| Carnival Treatment | * | A treatment involving spraying metallic salts on hot glass to produce a iridescent effect. Cambridge used this treatment in 1908, then again during 1916-1917, and a third time in the late 1920s. There were four color groups. Marigold on Crystal glass; Green on Emerald glass; Blue on Royal Blue; and Purple on Mulberry glass. |
| Carrara | 1923 | a Bright white opaque. shows opalescence at edges under a strong light |
| Cinnamon | February 1930 | A special acid treatment applied only for a Line named Springtime. The background was frosted and the motif was highlighted. Cinnamon used the Amber color. |
| Cobalt Blue 1 | circa early -mid 1920s | transparent medium blue. extreme gathering effect where it appears darker in the thicker selections of the glass. Highly florescent under black light. May have been called Aurora by Cambridge. |
| Cobalt Blue 2 | January 1925-1926 | visibly darker then Cobalt 1, but still a transparent medium blue with a significant gathering effect where it appears darker in the thicker selections of the glass. SLIGHTLY florescent under black light. Very difficult to distinguish from Ritz Blue. May have been called Night Blue by Cambridge |
| Coral | February 1935-1949 | seems to be identical to Crown Tuscan. Name may have been a marketing tool as this color was only used on the "Sea Shell" line. After 1949 all items of this color were called Crown Tuscan |
| Crown Tuscan | September 1932-58 | pinkish opaque which ranges from near translucent to dark tan to almost white. |
| Crystal | 1903-1958 | A clear glass having no color. Different in appearance to the cold and warm spectrum crystal colors of Fostoria & Heisey. |
| Dianthus Pink | * | refer to Peach-Blo |
| Ebon | 1954-July 1954 | A black glass which was given a rough matte finish to produce a soft velvet feeling to the touch. Extremely short production period. |
| Ebony, Early | January 1916 | sparkling high density black. will show amber, red, or amethyst when edge held to a bright light. Glass patterns best method to distinguish this color from the later re-introduction. |
| Ebony | 1922-1950's | sparkling high density black. will show amber, red, or amethyst when edge held to a bright light. |
| Eleanor Blue | October 1933 | Willow Blue was renamed to this without any change in the formula |
| Emerald, Early | January 1916 | a lackluster dark transparent green color. Often found on "Near Cut" items and as the base color for "carnival treatment" items. |
| Emerald, Light | 1923- early 1940s | light transparent shade of green. |
| Emerald, late dark | August 1949-1958 | medium dark green. Often confused with Forest Green. Identification of item's pattern will identify the color |
| Forest Green | September 1931 | dark shade of transparent green leaning towards yellow. Often Confused with late dark Emerald |
| Gold Krystol | August 1929 | light transparent yellow with no tint of amber which does not darken in the thicker areas of the glass |
| Grape | April 1935 | a decorative bright finish on one side with a frosted satin finish on the other side applied to Amethyst items |
| Green | 1903 | deep transparent color. wide range of density |
| Heatherbloom | November 1931-1935 | a light transparent orchid or lavender. Although a few items are not, the majority of items in this color are dichromatic. When seen under fluorescent light, the orchid color takes on a light blue or gray appearance. This color was Cambridge's answer to Heisey's Alexandrite, Fostoria's Wisteria, and Tiffin's Twilight. |
| Helio | 1923-1925 | light violet/purple opaque color. sometimes seen with lighter color streaking |
| Ivory | 1924 | Very pale cream opaque color.. Often referred to as Custard. Sometimes confused with Primrose |
| Jade | 1924 | Soft medium green opaque. color shade leans more to blue than yellow |
| Jade | February 1930 | A special acid treatment applied only for a Line named Springtime. The background was frosted and the motif was highlighted. Jade used the light Emerald color. |
| Jade Green | April 1935 | a decorative bright finish on one side with a frosted satin finish on the other side applied to Forest Green items |
| Krystol | February 1930 | A special acid treatment applied only for a Line named Springtime. The background was frosted and the motif was highlighted. Krystol used the Crystal color. |
| LaRosa | March 1938-October 1943 | medium to light pink which appears darker in the heaver areas of the glass. When looking into an edge, it gives the appearance of a orange tone. Discontinued during the war due to scarcity of materials. |
| Madeira | June 1929 -1931 | transparent light golden shade. somewhere between canary yellow and deep amber in color |
| Mandarin Gold | August 1949-1958 | medium shade of yellow with darkening in heavy areas of the glass. Replaced Gold Krystol. |
| Mardi Gras | December 1957 | A 20 item design Line consisting of flakes and swirls of vivid colors incorporated into a Crystal body. Similar items were called White Rain, Blue Cloud, and Strawberry. |
| Milk | 1954- July 1954 | non opalescence white opaque color with a very high shine. Extremely short production period. |
| Mocha | March 1938-Octover 1943 | soft shade of amber. Darkening in the heavy areas of the glass. Discontinued during the war due to scarcity of materials. Often confused with Madeira. |
| Moonlight | June 1936-Sept 1950 | light transparent blue slightly darker then Willow Blue. Appears darker in the heaver areas of the glass |
| Mulberry, Early | 1916 | medium dark transparent amethyst. often found as base color for "carnival treatment" items |
| Mulberry | 1923 | dull transparent medium to deep shade of amethyst. Doesn't show the sparkle of the later Amethyst. Also, unless the item is marked with the Triangle C, then the production period of the item is necessary to distinguish it from the earlier Mulberry color. |
| Mystic | February 1930 | A special acid treatment applied only for a Line named Springtime. The background was frosted and the motif was highlighted. Mystic used the Willow Blue color. |
| Night Blue | * | refer to Cobalt Blue 2 |
| Opal | 1903-1905 | translucent to opaque white. |
| Peach Blo | August 1925- 1934 | soft warm sparkling pink color. Name was changed to Dianthus Pink in 1934 with no change in color. |
| Pink | 1955-1958 | very light transparent color. It can only be identified by the designs from this period. |
| Pink Opaque | * | Not a regular production color. A pink opaque color found on some of the "small items". Seen in both a light & dark color on "English Complexion Cream" jars. |
| Pistachio | March 1938-October 1943 | lightest of all Cambridge greens. Appears darker in the heaver areas of the glass. Discontinued during the war due to scarcity of materials.. |
| Pistachio, Late | 1955-1958 | very light transparent green. has less shine then the earlier same named color. Under black light it does not glow like the other greens. |
| Primrose | 1923-1925 | soft yellow opaque. Often confused with Ivory which is very pale |
| Ritz Blue | 1929- early 1930s | slightly darker and evenly colored throughout the item then Cobalt Blue 2. Also there is absolutely no florescence under back light. Extremely difficult to distinguish between Ritz Blue and Cobalt Blue 2. |
| Rose du Barry | February 1930 | A special acid treatment applied only for a Line named Springtime. The background was frosted and the motif was highlighted. Rose du Barry used the Peach-Blo color. |
| Royal Blue, Early | June 1916 | transparent medium dark blue shade. Sometimes referred to as Cobalt |
| Royal Blue | June 1931-1941 | deep transparent blue which shows highlights leaning towards red |
| Rubina | 1925 | multicolor formed by carefully reheating the glass. Colors range from red at the top and bottom with a green changing to rich medium blue in the middle |
| Smoke | 1955-1956 | medium shade of transparent gray. Often found with a suggestion of amethyst |
| Strawberry | October 1956 | orange flakes in a crystal body. See also Mardi Gras color |
| Sunset | 1955-1958 | multicolor. Very similar to the 1920's Rubina. Colors on a piece go from dark red at the bottom, shading through to yellow and sometimes green, then into a transparent blue and returning to a thin line of yellow and red at the top. Not used in the same patters as before. |
| Topaz | 1923-1930 | transparent yellow-green. Often called "Vaseline" |
| Turquoise | 1903-1905 | greenish-blue opaque . more blue than green. A very Early Color. |
| Tahoe Blue | 1940s | used in the "Harlequin sets". extremely similar to Bluebell |
| Violet | 1955-1958 | a medium shade of opaque purple, similar to but lighter then the 1920's Helio. Not used in the same patterns. |
| White Rain | Oct. 1956 | pink opaque flakes in a crystal body. See also Mardi Gras color |
| Willow Blue | August 1928-1933 | light transparent pastel blue which does not darken in the thicker areas of the glass. Often confused with Moonlight blue. Best identified by the items. Decagon & Round are commonly found in this color. Name changed to Eleanor Blue in mid 1933. |
| Windsor Blue | July 1937- | icy blue opaque glass. used primarily in the Sea Shell Line as was Coral. |
References: Information contained on this page was gathered from numerous files and electronic sources. We also cite "Colors in Cambridge Glass" National Cambridge Collectors, Inc Collector Books 1995 as the premier reference publication on this subject. | ||
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