What is a paperweight glass?

Lampwork paperweights have objects such as flowers, fruit, butterflies or animals constructed by shaping and working bits of colored glass with a gas burner or torch and assembling them into attractive compositions, which are then incorporated into the dome. This is a form particularly favored by studio artists.

What are glass paperweights used for?

Fine glass paperweights originally were used functionally to hold down paper, but collectors now consider them as collectible glass art objects and value them for their beauty, creativity, and rarity. Collecting paperweights began shortly after their production ceased, primarily by aristocracy and royalty.

Why are paperweights a thing?

Paperweights were viewed as luxury items that satisfied the 19th-century taste for ornamentation, but were inexpensive to make. Letter writing was a popular activity at the time, and paperweights became a fashionable and economical way to decorate a home while keeping papers organized in drafty rooms.

How do I know if my glass paperweight is valuable?

Color: The color, clarity, and brilliance of the glass are extremely important when judging the quality of a paperweight. A yellowish cast to the glass is characteristic of Chinese weights made during the 1930s and 1940s. The glass in some classic period Bohemian weights is slightly yellow in color as well.

Are paperweights good gifts?

Paperweights are easy to transport, making them a great tool for on-the-go meetings that might occur outside, at a coffee shop or restaurant, or in any other environment where keeping paper materials tidy is imperative. Paperweights are meaningful, useful gifts that recipients will feel special to get.

How do I know if my paperweight is good?

How do you identify a strathearn paperweight?

If the paperweight is a spoke and millefiori panel design, then look at the spokes: if these are white latticino, then the paperweight is probably a Strathearn product. Vasart and Perthshire tended to use multicoloured twisted ribbon for the spokes. The next thing to think about is the design of the individual canes.

What are paperweights made of?

Traditionally, everything inside the paperweight is also made of glass. Some paperweights and most of the ones in the Neustadter collection are made using millefiori canes or lampwork. Lampworking is a type of glasswork, where the glass is melted and then shaped using hand movements and instruments.