Dear Donna,
This bowl belonged to my mother’s mom. Inside was a paper saying ‘brilliant cut glass bowl.’ Also a brief story of how she got it passed down. I remember every holiday using it at the table for vegetables. Wondering what you might know about cut glass.
Earl
Dear Earl,
Your mom did a great thing by putting information in the bowl for you to have. Along with the memories you have, it’s nice to share even more with younger family members.
American brilliant cut glass bowls have a long interesting history. They’ve been around since the 1800s in several different patterns. I have never been in an estate that didn’t have an assortment of cut glass. It’s that sparkle that was loved. The sad part is today they are not so sought after, though there are always exceptions for harder to find pieces in mint condition or by specific makers. Finding pieces with no chips or flaking around the top is tough. Remember they were used and loved for many years.
The value of a bowl like this one would be in the range of $40 with no damage. To find chipping or flakes on your bowl, rub a cotton ball lightly across the top and raised edges along the pattern. It should not get stuck on any area. If it does you have some damage.