i heart jadeite (or jadite)!

Although Anchor Hocking did not "invent" the jadeite color, its Fire King brand probably provides the best known examples of jadeite in existence today and, for that reason, when most people talk about jadeite in the context of kitchenware, they are generally referring to Anchor Hocking. In fact, Jeannette Glass company is the one who coined the term "jadeite" in the 1930s. However, since there are few examples of Jeannette pieces in jadeite, this post focuses on the Anchor Hocking Fire King line.

Whether you prefer to spell it jadeite or jadite, you will probably agree that these green Fire King pieces made by Anchor Hocking are fabulous. Several Fire King patterns were made by Anchor Hocking in the jadeite color, including Jane Ray, Alice, Shell, Charm and Swirl. Of them, my favorite is probably Jane Ray.

Anchor Hocking produced jadeite from the 1940s-1960s.  And since Anchor Hocking changed its Fire King marks periodically, a piece can be dated (to about a five to ten year range) based on the mark on the bottom.  You can find useful pictures and information for dating Fire King at this site www.firekingmugs.com/bottom_stamps.html.

While you can find many great examples of jadeite on the market, be prepared to pay for them, particularly since the resurgence of the color brought about by its best know fan, Martha Stewart. And if you are very serious about collecting a set, beware - the glass was made to be affordable (and, in fact, was often given away as a promotion) and so there are many inconsistencies among pieces, meaning that your set may not be uniform in color.  Maybe that doesn't concern you in which case, collect away! But if you are one of those folks who wants nothing less than a perfect, uniform collection, jadeite may not be a great choice for you.

There are lots of great jadeite pieces on Etsy, just a few of which are shown below. If you are already a collector or want to start a collection, be sure to do a search of the Etsy site to see all of what's available.

This fabulous sugar bowl in the Jane Ray pattern is offered by Cheshire Cat Antiques:

This beautiful dinner plate in the Alice pattern is offered by Jadite Kate:

This elegant cup and saucer in the Jane Ray pattern is offered by JessJamesJake:

This wonderful refrigerator dish is offered by Olde Things :

And, finally, this mixing bowl int he Swirl pattern is available at my shop: 

Happy hunting!