by Whitney Levon

Created on: October 22, 2009   Last Updated: October 27, 2009

Pilgrim glass is a brand of American glassware that antique collectors have admired for years. You have probably seen Pilgrim glass throughout your life, and may even unknowingly have a few pieces in your home. The company opened in 1942 and eventually shut it doors in 2002 after a successful run as one of the most popular glass makers in the nation. Its height of popularity was reached in the 1950's and 1960's, and most homes in America had at least one piece. The Pilgrim Company was known for several different types of glass, including cameo, cranberry, and crackle. When people mention Pilgrim Glass, it is most likely one of these types that they are referring to.

Cameo Glass

Cameo glass was very difficult to produce. Each piece consists of many layers of glass molten on top of each other. The artisan carved into the glass after all of the layers were successfully cased together. The resulting artwork looks much like that of a cameo broach. All pieces of cameo glass produced by the Pilgrim Company are signed by Kelsey Murphy, who is the artist that directed all pieces for the company. The Pilgrim Company produced this particular type of glass during the 1980's, although the origin of this type of artwork dates back to Roman times.

Cranberry Glass

Cranberry glass is made by using gold and lead oxide to produce a deep, cranberry color in the glass. Getting the right color during the process is very difficult, and the Pilgrim Company became known for creating quality pieces that had the perfect color. Production began in the late 1960's, and cranberry pieces became a huge seller for the company. Many pieces of Pilgrim cranberry glass were designed to look like Victorian pieces, and have fooled a few collectors , as the glass is quite beautiful and detailed. Cranberry glass as an art form has been around since the Civil War era.

Crackle Glass

Crackle glass is also known as ice glass by some. The names come from the look of the glass, which resembles cracked ice. This look is produced by taking the hot glass piece and quickly submerging it into cold water, causing the glass to lose its smooth texture. The glass was then re-heated to finish the process. Crackle glass was one of the first items that the Pilgrim Company produced. Pilgrim crackle glass was produced in several colors including ruby, amethyst, tangerine, and sapphire.

Pilgrim glass is highly collectible, although it is debated whether or not the glassware can be considered antique. The definition of what can be considered an antique varies greatly, but purists insist that anything produced within the last 100 years cannot be considered antique. Regardless of the category that you choose to put Pilgrim glass in, it is still beautiful artwork that anyone can appreciate. In some cases you can tell that you have a piece by looking for the company's mark on the bottom of a piece, a small strawberry stamp. In the case of cameo glass, look for the artist's signature. Pilgrim glass is easy to find online at auction sites and antique dealer web pages, and it can be very affordable. So take a minute to look through your kitchen, and see if you have one of these gems hiding out in your home!

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