Jadeite (kitchenware)

Jadeite (also spelled Jadite or Jade-ite, depending on manufacturer) is an opaque, jade-green milk glass that was widely produced for kitchenware and dinnerware in the United States from the 1930s through the 1970s. Named for its resemblance to the semi-precious stone of the same name, jadeite was manufactured by three principal American glass companies—Anchor Hocking, under its Fire-King brand, , and —each of which used a distinct spelling and formulation. A closely related opaque blue milk glass, marketed as Delphite by Jeannette and Azur-ite by Anchor Hocking, was produced alongside it. Jadeite was sold cheaply through grocery stores, hardware stores, and five-and-dime shops, and was frequently distributed as a promotional premium with the purchase of flour, oatmeal, or gasoline. Although production had largely ended by the 1970s, jadeite experienced a dramatic resurgence in collector interest beginning in the 1990s, driven in large part by Martha Stewart's public display of her own collection, and the color remains in production today by both heritage American glassmakers and overseas manufacturers.