Vintage 1970s Patterned Corelle Dinnerware

What is Corelle glass made of and how do I care for it?

Corelle is both dishwasher and microwave safe. It is also lightweight, stackable, and highly resistant to chipping. There are reports of Corelle glassware warping when placed in the bottom rack of a dishwasher though, so use the upper rack. Handwashing your dishes is always preferable.

Bonded “Vitrelle” glass is a laminated, tempered glass composed of three layers. A layer of opaque white glass is covered by a layer of clear glass and topped with the glass layer that forms the design. The FDA found lead content in Corelle’s glassmaking technique, so many vintage lines were retired due to that concern.

Safety of Vintage Corelle Dinnerware

Extremely high processing temperatures during production seal the decorations (and accompanying lead) to limit its contact with food on the plate. Some testing (done by parent company Instant Brands) has shown vintage Corelle dishes to be safe for use by FDA lead-safety regulations.

Corelle maintains that their dinnerware followed every guideline for safety at the time of production. Before the 1990s, most glass and ceramics worldwide had lead in their decorative fluxes and glazes. Lead content helped the glazes melt evenly. Corelle continues to research the safety of their vintage dinnerware from before 2005. Use your discretion on whether or not you’d like to serve food on your Corelle dishware or use them for decorative purposes.

Timeline For 1970s Vintage Corelle Dinnerware

1970 – Corelle was formed by Corning Glass Works (parent company of Pyrex). 

• White Frost (1970)

Pyrex Compatibles: The First 3 Patterns

Snowflake Blue (informally known as ‘garland’), Butterfly Gold, and Spring Blossoms were the three patterns offered as ‘Pyrex Compatibles’ in 1972.

• 

  Snowflake Blue (Garland) 1970 through 1976 – Designed by Robert Gibson, it features a garland-like pattern of snowflakes, swags, and dots along the piece’s edge. This pattern had the shortest production run of the original five Corelle Livingware patterns. Its lifespan was six years, only in production through 1976.

• 

  Butterfly Gold (1971 though 1981) – This design features a single band of golden butterflies and flowers around the edge of the plate.

• 

  Spring Blossom AKA Crazy Daisy (1970 through 1986) – Designed by Sara Balbach.

1971 – The FDA began to regulate lead levels in dishware.

1972 – The final release from the original Livingware patterns was Old Town Blue Onion

• Old Town Blue Onion (1972 – 1981) – The root (or bulb, pun intended) for this design is likely a bowl from the Chinese Kangxi period. A German pattern, now sometimes simply called “Meissen”, used the Chinese design as inspiration for a blue and white porcelain pattern called ‘Zweibelmuster’ or ‘Blue Onion.’ German artisans hybridized the original Chinese design’s peaches and pomegranates to something more familiar for a European audience. Peonies, asters, and a bamboo stalk are also found in the Zweibelmuster pattern. A Japanese version, ‘Blue Danube’, can also be found. Cynthia Gerow designed “Old Town Blue Onion” in 1972, inspired by the blue and white Zweibelmuster Meissen patterns.                                                                                                       

2005 – It was found that Corelle had lead content in the glaze used for its glass and plates. 

Bread/Dessert Plates:

• Height: 0.75 inches
• Bottom Diameter: 6.75 inches
• Top Diameter: 6.75 inches
• Weight (before packing): 0.4 pounds
• Shipping Dimensions: 2 lbs – 8x8x1 (around $ domestically)

Salad Plates:

• Height: 0.75 inches
• Bottom Diameter: 6.75 inches
• Top Diameter: 6.75 inches
• Weight (before packing): 0.4 pounds
• Shipping Dimensions: 2 lbs – 8x8x1 (around $ domestically)

10-Inch Lightweight, Stackable Dinner Plates:

• Height: 0.75 inches
• Bottom Diameter: 7 inches
• Top Diameter: 10 inches
• Weight (before packing): 1 pound
• Shipping Dimensions: 2 lbs – 12x12x1 (around $ domestically)

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