How Many Colors of Depression Glass Are There?

Depression glass is one of the most prevalent collectibles from the 1930s. This lightweight glass came in a variety of table setting pieces and in a rather large range of colors, many of which you don’t often find in secondhand or antique stores today. For this reason many people think of Depression glass as being either pink or green (the most common colors you find today). Collectors might already know that there’s always a style or color you haven’t seen yet. Today we’ll get into some of the many colors and patterns of this iconic style of glassware.

The Patterns

Some of the most popular patterns were Cherry Blossom, Sharon cabbage rose, Cameo, American Sweetheart, Patrician, Waterford, Aurora, Buttons and Bows, and Diamond Quilted. However there were many more patterns and styles besides! These were pressed to save money on manufacturing and were made in huge quantities as promotional pieces to give away at movies, in laundry powder, and in boxes of oatmeal.

Themes of decoration such as flowers, plants, ribbons, and geometrical shapes were popular. But, bubbles and wavy lines were also some of the more modern patterns that were made during this era. There are far more patterns from the 1930s than we could list, but you can see some other ones here and here.

The pieces made during this era (1920s and 1930s) included plates, saucers, luncheon plates, tumblers, juice glasses, aperitif glasses, butter dishes, salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowls, creamers, crudité trays, cake stands, bowls, canisters, teacups, candy dishes, pitchers, and dessert cups to name just a few.

The Colors

Since many Depression glass ranges were made from recycled glass the colors could vary slightly. Given that many manufacturers were cutting costs during this era, the recycling is no surprise.

Some of the most common shades of this type of glass are pale pink, clear, bright green (often uranium glass), and amber. Aqua, forest green, light blue, and cobalt blue were rarer colors. Some of the amber pieces can be quite yellow or they can be darker like what was popular in the 1960s.

Even rarer colors like black, ruby red, and amethyst were also produced, but they are not as common. We have to wonder if this was in part due to the recycled glass being used like amber and green beer and soda bottles. Or if customers of the 1930s simply wanted pastel colors that went with a contemporary color scheme that included lots of periwinkle blue, butter yellow, and jadeite green.

With so many delightful colors to pick from you really can’t go wrong with Depression glass, even if you mix and match the colors. It certainly would be in the spirit of 1930s resourcefulness to do so!