9 of the Rarest Pyrex Patterns – You’ve Probably Never Seen Some of These! (2023)

FAQs

What is the rarest Pyrex pattern? ›

Along with Butterprint, Gooseberry was one of the first patterns debuted on the new “Cinderella Bowls.” Cinderella Bowls were a series of large nested mixing bowls with a handle or spout on each side, which were designed by John Philip Johnson.

Atomic Eyes is the oldest Pyrex pattern known to exist.

Originally released as the “Hot 'N' Cold Chip and Dip Set,” this set was simply a large and small mixing bowl with a metal bracket that allowed the dip to be suspended over the bowl of chips.

The Lucky In Love design is printed on the one-quart Round Casserole (473) and remains one of the most elusive Pyrex designs ever created by Corning Glass Works. Released in 1959, Lucky In Love is most likely a limited release product or even a test piece.

Snowflake, along with Pink Daisy, was released in 1956 as the first printed pattern on the opal PYREX line.

It's great, durable design. Unlike a fragile, unwearable vintage lace dress, Pyrex can still be used day in and day out with no decline in quality of the product. Barber, who by his own admission owns “almost every piece of Pyrex produced from the past 45 years,” uses them all—even the pricey rare factory prototypes.

Corning Ware cookware's first widely distributed pattern was the 'Blue Cornflower' pattern designed by Joseph Baum, an artist at the Charles Brunelle Advertising Agency in Hartford, Connecticut. It became the trademark of Corning consumer products for three decades.

-Circa 1980's. -Made in the USA by Pyrex in the highly sought after AMETHYST PURPLE color.

The Pink Daisy Pyrex was only sold from 1956 to 1962. If you're dying for your own vintage Pyrex, you actually can buy one that looks like Midge's dish. Pyrex no longer sells this pattern anymore, but in 2019, you can find vintage items just about anywhere on the internet.

If the logo is in upper case lettering, PYREX, it's most likely made of borosilicate, and thus safer. The lowercase lettering is most likely made of soda-lime glass, so take extra care after any high-heat cooking.

Can you make money selling vintage Pyrex? ›

Some vintage Pyrex can earn up to $3,000, reports NPR—nevermind that it's not dishwasher safe, and it's a pain to lug around compared to modern iterations. Sure enough, we found a 1950s set selling for $1,850 on Etsy, and one from 1960 for $700 on eBay. There's even a rare vintage Pyrex bowl mold going for $1,000.

The brand was known for its durable glassware that could go from oven to table to freezer and was also quite fashionable for the time. Adorned with trippy florals and vibrant colors, Pyrex was very common in the midcentury, but with resurgence of mid-century modern (or “mid mod”) styles, Pyrex is now cool again.

The Shenandoah pattern of sketched light green flowers and leaves coming out of the ground on pale yellow glass was beloved by home cooks in the early eighties, housing many spring casseroles and potluck favorites.

The second from 1979 to 1981. One of the longest running patterns, Spring Blossom Green was available on the consumer market for nearly a decade. Spring Blossom Green was designed as a Pyrex Compatible to the Corelle Dinnerware of the same name. Spring Blossom Green is commonly referred to as “Crazy Daisy.”

Pyrex dishes also hide a little secret code: Many contain a three- or four-digit number that corresponds to a specific dish. A series of Mixing Bowls will feature 401 (1.5 pint), 402 (1.5 quart), 403 (2.5 quart), 404 (4 quart). The iconic two-quart green-and-white casserole dish is a 232.

In 1957 Butterprint and Gooseberry were introduced for the opalware Pyrex line, preceded only by Snowflake and Pink Daisy.

Autumn Harvest, designed by Richard Hora, entered the market in 1979 on several sets including the Cinderella bowl set (440), both the three and four-piece mixing bowl set (300 & 400), the Bake, Serve & Store set (470), the casserole set (480), the two oval casseroles (943 &945) and the refrigerator set (500).

When Friendship first appeared in 1971 it was accompanied by a full array of items, including Mixing Bowl sets (400 &300), a Cinderella Bowl set (441-44), and Refrigerator set (501-03), Round Casserole set (471-475), and a range of Bake Ware products.

The ultra-rare and highly coveted 1959 Pyrex piece, Lucky in Love, has recently shattered records as the most expensive Pyrex ever sold.

Pyrex P 0.25 mg/20 mg Tablet is an effective drug prescribed to patients who have panic disorders and anxiety disorders as a result of depression. The drug controls the levels of certain unbalanced chemicals released by the brain in patients who suffer from depression.

Why did Pyrex stop using borosilicate? ›

However, in the early 90s, Corning, the company that invented Pyrex, started using soda lime silicate glass instead of borosilicate (another manufacturer now owns the line). The switch was, its makers say, to boost the glassware's ability to withstand being dropped.

When Corningware introduced the Blue Cornflower collection in 1958, consumers snapped up the pieces like hotcakes. Immediately, other manufacturers created nearly identical copycat products, designed to capitalize on the Blue Cornflower buying frenzy.

While both CorningWare and Pyrex make great casserole dishes, CorningWare models are generally more versatile and slightly more reliable due to their unique ceramic-glass material.

Opaque tempered soda-lime glass was used to create decorated opal ware bowls and bakeware and aluminosilicate glass was used for Pyrex Flameware stovetop cookware. The latter product had a bluish tint caused by the addition of alumino-sulfate.

For collectors, the Pyrex sweet spot runs from the 1950s to the late 1970s, a period of time in which the dishes were still made from borosilicate glass and produced in some of the most popular patterns.

Originally released with a more defined foot the bottom of the bowls was redesigned in 1950, creating the version of Pyrex opal ware bowls with which we are now familiar. In 1947 the four-piece Primary Colors Refrigerator Set was released in yellow, blue and red.

A glassware manufacturer that's been around for 110 years, Anchor prides itself on being made in America for generations. Similar to Pyrex, they produce glass bakeware, food storage containers of various sizes, and measuring cups.

In the world, there are two companies allowed to distribute Pyrex® kitchenware products: International Cookware for Europe, Middle East & Africa. Corelle Brands for US, Asia & Latin America.

Pyrex has long used the U.S. origin of its products as a selling point. By early 2021, the company was not able to meet the demand for certain measuring cup sets sold on Amazon with cups produced in the United States. From March 2021 to May 2022, Instant Brands produced some Pyrex cups in China.

What Pyrex mixing bowls are worth money? ›

So how much are vintage Pyrex mixing bowls worth? Vintage Pyrex mixing bowls range in value from around $30 to about $150 depending on the color, print, and the number of pieces. The most valuable Pyrex mixing bowls are the nesting bowls that usually come in a set of four and have varying colors and prints.

Pyrex glass is microwavable with the only exclusion: you should avoid direct heat and sudden temperature changes like 100-120 degrees Celsius. How much heat can Pyrex withstand? French PYREX, made of borosilicate glass, has an incredible thermal resistance of up to 572°F (300°C).

But rest easy—vintage Pyrex dishes are oven-safe. As long as you follow the same guidelines above, vintage Pyrex is A-OK to go in the oven and can be used in oven temperatures up to 425ºF (and skip the broiler).

It became the trademark of Corning's products for three decades. But production of the original Pyroceram-based CorningWare products ceased in 2000. The brand was relaunched as a line of stoneware-based bakeware in 2001.

At the top of all “rarest CorningWare patterns” and “most valuable CorningWare” lists is the Spice of Life casserole dish. This classic pattern contained garden vegetables and herbs, in pastel and earth-tone colors which were popular during the 1970s.

When referring to vintage Pyrex, DWD means dishwasher dead.

So Which One Explodes? Pyrex used to be made of the more heat-resistant borosilicate glass, which is more resistant to breakage when subjected to extreme shifts in temperature. Pyrex eventually switched to tempered glass most likely because boron is toxic and expensive to dispose of.

John Phillip Johnson's bowls had pour spout handles that served two functions - an easy way to pick up the bowl and an even easier way to pour batter or other liquidy items from the bowl. This new shape was called Cinderella - a magical nod towards the Disney character who was popular on stage and screen at the time.

If purple is your kitchen color these amethyst bakeware pieces and bowls will be a decorative accent as well as useful equipment for cooking, mixing and serving.

This white casserole dish, manufactured around 1965, features CorningWare®'s signature blue cornflower design composed of three flowers with stems and leaves The square dish has two rectangular nub handles and a glass lid with a knob handle.

What was the first CorningWare pattern? ›

Corning Ware cookware's first widely distributed pattern was the 'Blue Cornflower' pattern designed by Joseph Baum, an artist at the Charles Brunelle Advertising Agency in Hartford, Connecticut. It became the trademark of Corning consumer products for three decades.

So rare is the original cookware covered in clovers, hearts, and a grass base, it's hailed by fan groups including Pyrex Passion and Pyrex Love as the "holy grail of Pyrex." The coveted round opalware glass casserole dish even sold for more than $4,000 on eBay in 2015.

They are numbered as follows: 401 (1.5 pt), 402 (1.5 qt), 403 (2.5 qt), 404 (4 qt). The second type of mixing bowls are the Cinderella Mixing Bowls. These have handles and pour spouts on the sides. They are numbered as follows: 441 (1.5 pt), 442 (1.5 qt), 443 (2.5 qt), 444 (4 qt).

JAJ (short for James A Jobling) were the producers of PYREX tableware, casserole dishes and other bakeware in the United Kingdom from 1922 until the plant (in Sunderland, England) closed in 2007.

They're pretty similar

In the case of Pyrex and Anchor Hocking, an untrained eye might not see many differences at all, aside from the labels. Both brands make cookware that can withstand oven temperatures of up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, making them great for casseroles, pies, and roasted vegetables.

Advertisements and mint-condition items have confirmed that Crown used packaging and stickers to identify unmarked mixing bowls as pyrex glass when they were originally sold.

These dates are important because Corning's patent on the borosilicate glass used to make Pyrex pans expired in 1936. At that time, the company developed a new formula for aluminosilicate glass, which it used to create a line of frying pans called Pyrex Flameware. (This line was discontinued in 1979.)