opal glass

Opal glass is a type of glass that is translucent or opaque, often milky white. It is created by adding impurities, such as fluorine compounds, which disperse as crystallites within the glass matrix. This type of glass is used for ornamental pressed glass and to diffuse light efficiently.1

Opaline glass, typically opaque glass or crystal, was produced in France between 1810 and 1890. It resembles milk glass from 16th-century Venice and 18th-century Bristol, England. Key production centers included Creusot, Baccarat, and Saint-Louis, with items ranging from bowls and vases to decanters. Opaline glass was made in various colors, including turquoise blue, yellow, pink, and more vivid hues imitating Bohemian glass. Decoration often included gilding, painting, and transfer printing.2