Diamond Point Vase Photo Essay

By Don Chamberlain

Is it Diamond Point or Diamond Points? I have seen it written both ways. I guess it really doesn’t matter. The pattern makes for a colorful way to highlight the iridescence on these Northwood vases.

According to Heacock, Measell, and Wiggins in Northwood, The Wheeling Years, 1901 – 1925, Diamond Point vases were first made in opalescent glass about 1906. These must have been successful enough to allow Northwood to continue with the pattern into the carnival glass era.

Above you see a collection of squatty vases in the Diamond Point pattern. At the left is a grouping of twelve flame examples in blue, marigold and green. Center, you see a grouping of six flame squatty vases; two purple, a marigold, and green. To the right are an ice blue with six flames and white with twelve flames.

Even though these vases are only found with one base diameter, 3 3/8″, they are found in so many colors that it would be possible to build a fair-sized collection. Dave Doty says there are at least twenty different colors available. He states that marigold is the most common. The hardest to find are Persian blue, Persian blue opal, electric blue, and aqua opal in the standard heights. Most of these have a twelve-flame top and fewer have the six-flame top. They are also found in a squat version that is usually under seven inches in height. Carl Burns states that the shorter versions are most plentiful in green followed by amethyst and marigold. Cobalt blue and white are considered scarce. Aqua, ice blue and ice green are listed as rare. Burns also states that the standard sizes are harder to find in cobalt, lavender, ice green, and horehound. He says they are even harder to find in aqua opal, Renninger blue, and smoke. According to him, they are rarest in teal and sapphire.

The shortest height is about 5 1/2 inches and the tallest about twelve inches.

The most recent Diamond Point vase find is a powder blue slag in standard size which was featured in an auction of glass from Australia.

A full range of heights and colors would certainly be a challenge and would make for a wonderful display!

The standard size vases represented above, from left, are lime green, green, blue, amethyst, blue, sapphire blue with pastel iridescence and sapphire blue with marigold iridescence.

Above on the left is the Diamond Point vase that was described in the November 2016 Seeck auction as powder blue. You can see the cobalt blue streaks that run through the base in the center photo. Compare that to the squatty and standard ice blue vases, above right, and you will see a great deal of difference.

Above on the left you see the ice blue, white, and ice green Diamond Point vases. The white appears to be a different mold. You are able to see, in the photo to the right, how deep the white base is compared to the ice blue.

Above left is an aqua opal vase that is slightly shorter than normal standard vases. The green example above is quite striking. The three marigold vases above center exhibit the regular flames on the left and on the squatty, while the vase to the right has smooth flames. The photo on the right shows a slightly shorter ice blue standard, an aqua opal, and ice green.

Diamond Point vases that are ruffled are rarely seen. Above to the left are an amethyst and marigold ruffled vases shown, while in the center is a standard twelve flame green vase. To the right you see another difference in the ruffled examples, The base on the amethyst is plain and the marigold has a star base.

If you have any additions or corrections, please contact me at dbcham@iowatelecom.net or 124 E. Honey Creek Dr., Manchester, IA 52057. Please include photos if you have them.

We would like to thank Kevin and. April Clark for allowing us to photograph many beautiful Diamond Point vases. Also, thanks to the Seecks for the use of their photo of the powder blue vase.

This article first appeared in the ICGA Pump in the March 2017 issue and is reprinted with permission.