Vintage uranium glass faceted bead graduated Art Deco necklace - fabulous beads that glow under UV light, on foxtail chain

Vintage green uranium glass beaded necklace with lovely graduated, unusually faceted beads. This type of glass is amazing as in the natural light, it is a vibrant green colour. However under UV lights, the glass gives off a 'radioactive' looking glow.

This necklace has the beads strung on a slim, brass foxtail chain - a technique used in Louis Rousselet pieces. These pieces also used chunky screw clasps, but this is not one I recognise from any other Rousselet necklaces. I don't have provenance for this piece so can't attribute it to Rousselet, but I do think it is likely to be a French piece.

Uranium glass is glass which has had uranium, usually in oxide diuranate form, added to a glass mix before melting. The proportion usually varies from trace levels to about 2% uranium by weight.

This is a fun piece to be wearing in a club or party with UV lights. The necklace fastens with a chunky brass screw barrel clasp and has a length of about 18 inches. It is in good vintage condition - the beads are old and there are a couple of nibbles and chips in the glass. Both are shown in the close-up pictures.