Searching For Jadeite Dishware? Look Out For This Vintage Brand

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Like Benedictine spread, which is vintage, green, and deserving of a comeback, jadeite dishware is mint-tastic and old-school and should earn a high spot on your list of kitchen white whales. Sure, Martha Stewart hates truffle oil, but she adores jadeite and features loaded shelves of the delicately verdant dinnerware in her Maine home. From plates to mixing bowls to pitchers to cake stands, including just about any vessel you might use in a kitchen, this green milk glass is beautiful and oh-so-sought-after, fetching a pretty penny on secondhand retail sites like eBay and Etsy. Its name comes from its hue, which is similar to the precious stone jade (though no actual jade is involved in its making).

Stewart's brand of choice is the particularly collectible Fire-King jadeite, which was produced by Anchor Hocking starting in 1942. Unlike some of its vintage competitors, Fire-King dishware contains no uranium, so it will not illuminate under a black light. Some of Fire-King's iconic jadeite patterns include Alice, Charm, Philbe, and Restaurant Ware, the latter of which is the sturdy and utilitarian line that Martha herself likes to snap up.

Production of the original Fire-King jadeite ended in 1976, though a limited run of pieces was produced by the company in 1992 for its golden anniversary. The next batch of modern jadeite was made in 2000 and is stamped prominently with the "Fire-King 2000" insignia. These pieces, notably, were not made from the same molds as the vintage collection.

If you are new to the jadeite collecting game, it might occur to you to check yard sales, church rummage sales, and Facebook Marketplace for estates being liquidated or elderly folks parting with their collections. However, the rising value of jadeite and its status as a collectors' item have made it increasingly difficult to get bargain-basement prices. Luckily, savvy collectors can find good deals on the resale market, provided that they are patient and willing to build their trove piece by piece.

More common jadeite items, like dinner plates, remain relatively inexpensive. The rarer items, such as decorative salt cellars or stand mixer bowls, can be costly and hard to source. You can read up on the hobby and research your vintage pieces in books like "Jadite: Identification & Price Guide" and the "Fire-King Jade-ite Collector's Guide." Note that varying spellings of the material based on brand — Fire-King spells it "jadeite" or "jade-ite" — can make internet searches all the more challenging!

Several modern fans of jadeite have put out their own lines of green milk-glass dishware, including Joanna Gaines and Ree Drummond, but these, of course, lack the cachet of the retro originals. Like the 1960s kitchen wallpaper trend, collecting jadeite isn't for everyone, and there are those who may wonder about your newfound fixation on post-Depression-era green glass. Let the haters hate: we think jadeite is lovely and classic, and even a small collection, tastefully utilized for special dinners, will bring elegance and visual interest to your table!