How do I identify a jar?

Lips, Colors, Shapes, and Toppers

Another way to determine if your jar was made by a machine (and thus, after 1855) is to examine the “lips,” or the sides of the opening. If they’re designed to accept a twist cap closure, you can be sure it was a mass-produced jar.

How can you tell how old glass is?

Marks At The Base

The bottom of the glass bottle will tell you the most about its age. Prior to the mid 19th Century, pontil marks were the signature of glass bottles. A pontil is a rod made of iron that was used to hold the bottle during the manufacturing process.

What do the numbers on the bottom of a jar mean?

mold number
There will be a large number on the bottom of your jar. This is the mold number, and unfortunately also has no relation to the manufacture date. These charts tell you the approximate decade in which your Ball jar was made.

How can you tell vintage glass jars?

A glass bottle’s embossing effects often help to provide positive proof of the bottle’s age. The embossing may be located on any part of the bottle. Multiple types of embossing effects may appear on a single bottle. You can often determine a bottle’s intended use by viewing its embossing effects.

What old jars are worth money?

The most valuable mason jars are:
  1. Van Vliet Improved Jar – $23,500.
  2. Black Amber Magic Star Fruit Jar – $3,000. …
  3. 1933 Ball Upside Down Error Jar – $1,000. There are two types of Ball upside-down Mason jars. …
  4. The 1870 Chief Mason Jar – $800. (Photo: gregspurgeon.com) …
  5. 1858 Willoughby Stopple Jar – $500. (Photo: hoosierjar.com) …

How do I know if my mason jars are valuable?

If you have a jar with one of the older logos, it will likely be worth more than one with a newer logo. Next is the color. Clear and pale blue are the most common colors, but jars of all colors were produced. Yellow and amber jars were common.

Why are old Mason jars blue?

Feeling Blue

Those blue mason jars were mass produced until 1937 using sand from around Lake Michigan. It was that sand that gave the glass its blue hue.

How do you date old Atlas Mason jars?

Dating an Atlas Mason Jar
  1. Look for Mold Seams. Examine the jar to see if it has lines or mold seams from its construction. …
  2. Check the Texture of the Glass. …
  3. Note the Name. …
  4. Examine the Jar’s Condition. …
  5. Check the Style. …
  6. Consider the Color. …
  7. Compare to Recent Sales Prices.

How do you tell how old Kerr Mason jars are?

Check the jar from top to bottom. The Kerr name will be embossed on the glass. There are some general guidelines to approximate the date of a vintage Kerr jar between 1915 and 1930. The finish on a fruit jar can tell you roughly about the date it was made.

Are blue mason jars worth anything?

Fruit jars were produced primarily in clear and “Ball blue” (aqua), but some amber, cobalt, and even milk glass examples can be found out there in the wild, and they are likely worth upwards of several hundred dollars.

Are Kerr jars worth anything?

Typical values:

The value of antique Ball, Mason and Kerr canning jars varies greatly. Typical prics range from $8 to $25 a jar. Look at the books listed above on this page for more details about how to value a jar.

Are Ball and Kerr the same company?

If the Kerr jars and their packaging looks eerily similar to that of Ball jars, it’s because they’re basically the same: Both Ball and Kerr brands are now owned and manufactured by the parent company Jarden.

How old are Knox Mason jars?

The Knox jars were made in the 1940s by the Knox Glass Bottle Co.

How old is a magic mason jar?

The Magic Star Fruit jar features a glass lid secured by iron clamps, another innovation in sealing. The side of the jar features an embossed star logo surrounded by text. It was patented in Pennsylvania in 1886 by Hermann Buchholz.

Which is Better Ball or Kerr mason jars?

Can you use Kerr lids on Ball jars?

Kerr & Ball jar lids are interchangeable.

What’s the difference between a jar and a Mason jar?

They are remarkably similar to commercially used jars, but the biggest difference is that real Mason jars have a wider rim that gives them a better sealing surface. They are also made better so they can resist cracking and breaking under the high pressure that is necessary for canning.

Can you freeze mason jars?

If you’re trying to avoid excessive use of plastic in the home, glass mason jars are a great reusable option that you likely already have around. You can freeze liquids in mason jars and store them for several months in the freezer.

Can Ball canning jars be microwaved?

Yes, the Ball Mason jar is designed to be safely used in the microwave. People often have this confusion whether or not mason jars are microwaveable. This is because some jars are compatible with microwaves and others are not. Ball’s mason jar belongs to the former category.

Is Ball canning going out of business?

The Ball Corporation got out of the canning business about 25 years ago. Newell Brands announced Monday that they would be closing operations at their Muncie plant and moving the production to facilities in Fishers and Ohio.

Why do mason jars break in the freezer?

Why do mason jars break in the freezer? Non-tempered glass contains microscopic air bubbles that expand and contract as the glass is heated and cooled down, especially at extreme temperatures, like during canning and freezing. When those little air bubbles expand, they cause the glass to crack or even explode!