RARE Thomas Webb & Sons Alexandrite Hexagon Vase with Honeycomb Pattern

  

RARE Thomas Webb & Sons Alexandrite Glass Vase. Honeycomb moulded Alexandrite glass vase with a hexagon shaped rim. Alexandrite glass is a heat sensitive homogeneous glass that's very difficult to make (correctly). The colors are stunning, tell tale Alexandrite chocolate brown edge around the rim, then the glass shades to a fantastic intense fuchsia, then to golden honey amber. Alexandrite was first introduced and patented by Thomas Webb & Sons. Researchers indicate the production was very limited and short lived. Others even go further and speculate that all known examples of Thomas Webb's Alexandrite came from a single batch of glass. Regardless of where the exact truth lies, it is clear that examples of Thomas Webb's Alexandrite are very rare. One interesting characteristic of the Alexandrite color chocolate brown.

A rich chocolate brown color is evident on the edge of Alexandrite ware. It is a distinctive chocolate brown color that you really can not miss once you know what to look for. What causes the brown edge effect is unknown.

Exactly what glass formula produces the colors is unknown; however, some suggest an addition of gold to the formula could cause the color shift. Needless to say, it was a complex process and variations in color density are common among the limited examples found. Alexandrite ware is found in both free blown and expanded blown mold shapes.