How do you identify Hawkes cut glass?

Hawkes cut glass was made by T.G. Hawkes & Company of Corning, New York, founded in 1880. The firm cut glass blanks made at other glassworks until 1962. Many pieces are marked with the trademark, a trefoil ring enclosing a fleur-de-lis and two hawks.

Is American cut glass worth anything?

American cut glass is a very valuable collectible on the antiques market. Values range based on quality, maker, condition, and pattern and many pieces regularly are worth $1,000 to $100,000. Get an online appraisal of your piece of glass from Dr.

Is all Hawkes crystal marked?

Many of the original Hawkes Crystal pieces do not bear marks, although some do so on the foot of the piece. Even with those pieces that do bear marks,, they can be difficult to distinguish due to the intricacies of the glass. The original Hawkes Crystal ceased operations in 1960.

Is American Brilliant cut glass crystal?

Clearly defined, American Brilliant Period cut glass is fine quality, hand-cut crystal produced from 1876 to roughly 1920. It is considered “crystal” because it comprised up to a 50% lead content (versus 24% for modern crystal), which accounted for its brilliance.

What is gravic cut glass?

In 1903 Hawkes introduced a line of engraved glassware called “Gravic”. It consisted of naturalistic designs, stone-wheel engraved, and usually left in a matte finish. Some elements, particularly leaves, were often cut and polished.

What is gravic glass?

Hawkes introduced its version of stone-wheel engraving in 1903 and called the glassware “gravic.” The engraved flowers usually have miter-cut leaves and stems (Sinclaire and Spillman 1997, p. 69).

How can you identify American Brilliant cut glass patterns?

Cut leaded crystal (or cut glass) has three distinguishing characteristics: a bell-like ring when gently tapped with the finger, a clarity and brilliance unmatched by pressed or molded imitations, and weight noticeably greater than the same sized piece made of unleaded glass.

Is Cut glass signed?

Many of the major cut-glass companies either did not sign their wares, signed them only during certain years of operation, or used paper labels that were soon destroyed.

What is ABP cut glass?

So what is ABP glass? Generally speaking, it is fine quality, hand-cut crystal produced between 1880 and 1925. Its exceptional “brilliance” results from the high lead content of the glass (up to 50%, versus 24% for modern crystal) which gives it a high refractive index.

How do you tell the difference between pressed glass and cut glass?

Cut glass will have sharper detail with a more defined pattern, whereas pressed glass will be smoother and worn to the touch. Look for mold marks. Cut glass will not have any mold marks and most pressed pieces do unless they are upper end pieces where someone took the time to remove them.

What happened to Hawkes glassware?

Although T. G. Hawkes & Company continued to produce excellent examples of glassware cut in the brilliant style after the turn-of-the-twentieth-century, many of its patterns were merely variations (usually simplified) of nineteenth century designs. Nevertheless, a few of the new patterns were quite original.

What is “Gravic” Hawkes glass?

“Gravic” does not necessarily imply a quality piece of Hawkes glass, but it can. Although T. G. Hawkes & Company continued to produce excellent examples of glassware cut in the brilliant style after the turn-of-the-twentieth-century, many of its patterns were merely variations (usually simplified) of nineteenth century designs.

Did Hawkes design the White House Order?

No photographs or drawings exist of Hawkes’s White House order, so there remains some uncertainty as to the actual pattern supplied. Arguments that favor the Russian pattern because this was thought to have been an exclusive Hawkes design must be discarded.

Who was TG Hawkes?

A few years later he signed himself “T. G. Hawkes, Rich Cut Glass Manufacturer, Corning, New York” in a proposal to supply glassware to the White House (Spillman 1989, p. 88). Following several successful years during this period — when the company was known as Hawkes Rich Cut Glass — the firm incorporated as T. G. Hawkes & Company in 1890.