# irradiated cobalt???



## cobaltbot (Jan 20, 2011)

Does anybody know if or what color cobalt bottles turn if irradiated?  Some of you know I collect off color bromo bottles (yes really) and I don't want to get burnt if possible.  Thanks


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## AntiqueMeds (Jan 20, 2011)

Do you mean short wave UV light or high energy radiation from something like a reactor?


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## surfaceone (Jan 20, 2011)

Hey Steve,

 Good question, I think. Here'ya go:

 "Optical and infrared absorption spectra of undoped ternary silicate and CoO doped glasses were measured before and after successive gamma ray irradiation. The results obtained revealed the existence of cobalt ions mainly in tetrahedral coordination in such host glasses. The radiation-induced defects created by gamma irradiation are related to intrinsic effect of the glass constituents and extrinsic effect due to the cobalt ions. The response of the glass to irradiation and the growth rate of colour center formation are related to the equilibrium between the formation and annihilation processes of induced colour centers and the saturation or equilibrium state reached by successive irradiation." From Scientific Gibberish.


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## cyberdigger (Jan 20, 2011)

Well, that settles it! []


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## Wangan (Jan 20, 2011)

Ahhhh,ok,i guess...got any pictures?[]


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## cobaltbot (Jan 20, 2011)

You guys are a lot of help?[]

 I mean nuked like that fake purple effect on bottles that would normally be just SCA. or the coke bottles they turn brown.  What if anything does that do to cobalt glass???


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## coboltmoon (Jan 20, 2011)

This is a good question.  You can turn milk glass light blue. Manganese was used to decolor the glass so I would not think it would be used in cobalt.

 If it was made with Manganese and nuked one would look cobalt purple I guess.


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## AntiqueMeds (Jan 20, 2011)

> I mean nuked like that fake purple effect on bottles that would normally be just SCA. or the coke bottles they turn brown.  What if anything does that do to cobalt glass???


 
 sounds like you are talking about high energy irradiation. Thats what turns coke bottles the nasty brown. Not sure what it does to cobalt, probably turns it brownish or gray I would expect. I dont have a reactor to experiment with.


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## Poison_Us (Jan 21, 2011)

This is why I have reservations about this one.  This is supposed to be cobalt...but I don't have a single piece that looks like this, and it's one my wife has been after for quite some time.

 http://cgi.ebay.com/Nice-antique-STRYCHNINE-poison-bottle-DEEP-COBALT-BLUE-/390280315934?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ade85041e


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 21, 2011)

That just looks more like the A in SCA. I see no blue to indicate cobalt. Sure picked up a lot of color though.


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## AntiqueMeds (Jan 21, 2011)

looks heavily UV colored to me. Doesnt appear cobaly.


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## cobaltbot (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks guys, I'm sure someone has tryed this and knows what the outcome is.  I'm not worried about cobalt/purple if thats the outcome.


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## appliedlips (Jan 21, 2011)

I have seen aqua glass turn blues, olive green, and true amber but never fooled with cobalt. I have never seen a suspicious looking bromo, do you have any examples? Poison Us, that strychnine is nuked for sure the goofball has many altered bottles for sale, I don't know who he is trying to fool.


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## cyberdigger (Jan 21, 2011)

I would imagine the bottle butchers tend to leave cobalt specimens alone.. they are already purdy enough to attract the color-crazed novices..


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## appliedlips (Jan 21, 2011)

Your right Charlie, with all those clear NJ blobs full of manganese who'd waste time on cobalt?[]


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## RED Matthews (Jan 21, 2011)

Good thread;  I have a quart wiskey that was radiated to give it a good purple color.  It is a unique bottle with really clear almost cut looking pattern on it.  I do not agree with what was done to the bottle but it looks good in my bow window up North.  I just like bottles that are left as they were made.  RED Matthews


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## Wangan (Jan 21, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  appliedlips
> 
> Your right Charlie, with all those clear NJ blobs full of manganese who'd waste time on cobalt?[]


 

 Someone who thinks they are going to get a pile of money for a "rare" never before seen specimen.[]


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## BillinMo (Jan 21, 2011)

Interesting question.  I'm not aware of anyone who's experimented with cobalt glass.  Usually cobalt sells quickly, without alteration.  Imagine taking a great-looking piece of cobalt glass and making it look ugly brown or something!   

 There's a good amount of info on irradiated insulators here, including before/after photos:  http://www.nia.org/altered/index.htm      I'm sure the results with bottles would be similar.  

 Full disclosure -- I'm the Central Region VP of the NIA, so I suppose that makes me connected with the linked site.


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## old.s.bottles (Jan 21, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  appliedlips
> I don't know who he is trying to fool.


 
 He might not be trying to fool anyone. His ebay record is perfect. There are probably more people who buy the bottles because they are pretty than there are people who even know what SCA is...maybe


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## cobaltbot (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks for the info.  I agree nobody would usually nuke a cobalt bottle but bromos, MOM's, noxemas, even the baltimore everlasting dye bottles - maybe.  I don't think any of mine were nuked, the aquas, teal blues, and teal greens are known to have been dug and exist but I was curious and like I said don't want to get burned by one.  I'll try and get up a pic of some of mine.


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## David Fertig (Jan 22, 2011)

Take a look at the sellers other auctions!  There are just way too many purples and "SCA" bottles and jars there.

 I say...


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## David Fertig (Jan 22, 2011)

Go here:

 http://www.insulators.info/books/fake/


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## Lordbud (Jan 22, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  Poison_Us
> 
> This is why I have reservations about this one.  This is supposed to be cobalt...but I don't have a single piece that looks like this, and it's one my wife has been after for quite some time.
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/Nice-antique-STRYCHNINE-poison-bottle-DEEP-COBALT-BLUE-/390280315934?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ade85041e


 
 Old Lutsko up in Montana has been selling bottles for years. He always has a variety of irradiated "SCA" bottles and some overpriced labeled Western bottles he's been relisting for years without success...recently changed his ebay moniker from Letsgo2libby to the clancy_kid. The description for the linked bottle either contains a written error "A very nice 3" tall beautiful DEEP COBALT BLUE colored" or a really poor photograph showing the color as "irratiated SCA" without a trace of cobalt color whatsoever.*[size="+1"]
[/size]*


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