How to Identify & Value Antique Perfume Bottles (Guide 2022)

Did you know that vintage perfume bottles are among the most desired and precious items? Highly ornamented and luxurious, their unique scent bottles keep the collectors coming for more. So, if you have some old perfume bottles, you are in luck!

Today, we’ll sort the ‘antique perfume bottles’ from your collection and create a price guide to help you value them! So, jump into the guide, and know it all!

Key Takeaways

• Old perfume bottles are precious and yield good returns, up to $15,000. Generally, transparent or limited-edition ambush bottles are the most valuable.
• Old perfume bottles with paper labels and cork or viscose seals are high-valued. And branded, metal-capped bottles are equally precious!
• Old perfume bottles are transparent, silver cased, and animal-shaped. And different batch codes and trademarks will help you age the bottle correctly.
• Half-filled vials, smaller sprays, and metal bottles are cheaper. But even misplaced corks and torn labels can devalue your old perfume bottle. So, jump to the article and learn all the tricks to value a vintage perfume bottle correctly!

What Do Antique Perfume Bottles Look Like?

Most vintage cologne bottles are clear or tinted and have labels that help the user track them. They also have shiny metal embellishments that uplift the glam quotient and valuation.

But that’s not all! Here are some more features to identify better:

• Transparent or lightly tinted green, red, and yellow glass surfaces
• Gold-enameled, squeeze-bulb atomizers or corks
• Comical animal, figurine, or ambush shapes 
• 2 – 3 ounce bottles with tags, labels, and stamped letters
• Bubbled surface finish and hand-cut crystal or glass molded edges
• Shorter side seams and uneven lips

The History & Evolution

European artisans manufactured the first scent bottles during the Renaissance. But since people used these bottles to store the scent for future use, they were not that fancy and had rough edges. They were also elongated and had shorter lips with cork lids.

Art-nouveau styling surfaced in the 19th century. Thus manufacturers started creating smaller bottles for day-to-day use. They also stamped them with gold letters and crystals to make them more attractive. And these old perfume bottles fetch good returns!

However, America experienced a ‘new woman’ movement in the 20th Century. So, perfume bottles turned more feminine and pink. They were also thin and lightweight and added embossed seals and metal caps. And such bottles are even more precious today!

Types of Antique Cologne Bottles

Old perfume bottles have different shapes and scents that affect their value. But they also have three main types that alter their price broadly. So, let’s discuss those types and figure out their valuation!

1. Rococo Perfume Bottles

Rococo perfume bottles are porcelain or glass bottles with smaller openings and seams. They are more nature-themed and have animal or floral inscriptions along the edges. Generally, old bottles are white but newer ones can be transparent, tinted, or green.

Old Rococo perfume bottles also have golden or silver embellishments and crystal-cut sidings. So this makes them highly precious and increases their valuation to $100 – 200.

2. Gemel Bottles

Gemel bottles are curved European bottles with a fish shape and pineapple caps. They are small and have white or green sidings with an opaque finish. But older, 18th-century bottles might have two different necks, costing $100 – 150 each.

Gemel bottles are quite new but expensive due to their bold colors and unique shapes. So you can either buy them for $500 as a set or get a unique bottle at $60 – 100.

3. Art Nouveau Cologne Bottles

Art Nouveau bottles are short, conical bottles with hinged stoppers and caps. They are mostly silver, pink, or brown and might have flower-leaf patterns and webs at the sides. And since they don’t have any labels, you must check their base for logos before valuation.

Art Nouveau bottles also vary with the metal and type of overlay used. For example, crystal bottles are grooved, whereas silver ones are thin and pointed. So, each has a different valuation, between $30 – 150.

These Art Nouveau bottles are further classified as:

• Silver Overlay: These are thick, silver-coated bottles with a short neck and round base. They have a rough valuation of $45 – 90.
• Crystal Overlay: These are chamfered glass bottles with crystal motifs and caps, valuing $40 – 60.
• Pewter or Chrome Overlay: These are bright-colored, onion-shaped bottles with a bottom casing and gold speckles, valuing $30 – 50.
• Glass Overlay: These are brown ceramic bottles with designer glass and floral embellishments. But since they are mass-manufactured, they have a low valuation of $20 – 30.

How Do You Identify an Antique Perfume Bottle & Value It Correctly?

Old perfume bottles have distinct labels and shapes that help track their age and value. So, just get a notepad and pen, and we’ll tell you how to do that quickly.

1. Bottle Age

Image: flickr.com/photos/63360666@N04

Scent bottle costs vary with age, but old 17th-century bottles are the most precious. And their valuation goes higher if they contain old sandalwood perfumes or colognes. Similarly, 18th-century floral or crystal bottles are valuable and fetch good returns.

In contrast, mass-produced bottles from the late 1960s and 70s are pretty common and don’t have a high demand. So, they have a lower valuation of $5 – 6.

Here’s a checklist to help you identify the bottle and track its age:

• Bottles from the Early 1800s: These are clear or tinted bottles with a hexagonal base and stopper. They are silver-cased but might have etched batch numbers or trademarks at the bottom. So, their valuation is relatively high at $10,000 – 12,000.
• Bottles from the Late 1850s: These thin, figurine-shaped bottles are small and portable. They do not have an atomizer but have a hinged cap that controls the spraying. And their unique shape makes them highly valued at $6000 – 9000.
• Bottles from the Early 1900s: They are flask-shaped, cut, or blown bottles with short necks. Depending on the brand, they may have some floral or figurine patterns, but they cost $500 – 1000.
• Bottles from the Late 1950s: These flat, 3 – 4 ounce bottles have a cubical shape and dark glass. They are not hand-blown but have simple embossed batch numbers that track their age. But, they have low demand and a valuation of $200 – 300.

Here are some common batch numbers for quick reference:

YearBottle AgeBatch NumberLocationManufacturerValuation198141 yearsDI – 690FranceHermes Equipage$150 – 200197052 yearsMF 1056 CE1ParisGuerlain$260 – 300199725 yearsUS-xxxItalyGiorgio Armani$100 – 150

Analyze the surface colors and bottle capacities properly. Usually transparent, 5 – 6 ounce bottles are older and precious.

2. Bottle Shape

Old 18th-century scent bottles are vial or shell-shaped with needle-like tops. They have thin transparent or brown walls and a lattice finish to reduce evaporation. Or they can also be fish-shaped with a spray at eye level.

In contrast, bottles from the 1850s are ambush-shaped and might have figure decorations. They have a wider bottom and a tapering top with simple squeeze-bulb atomizers. So, they are easier to spray and might cost $100 – 150 at the auction.

19th-century glass bottles are machine-blown and new-classical. So, they are spherical and have a webbed finish for better shelf life. Or, they might have a conical shape with a narrow neck for easy pouring. Thus, they are more functional and value from $90 – 120.

Lastly, 20th-century perfume bottles are rectangular and have angled edges and pineapple caps. But, they are low-valued because of the abundant machine production and easy availability.

Shape of the Perfume BottleAverage Auction CostVial – Shaped (Limited Edition)$200 – 250Shell – Shaped $100 – 150Fish – Shaped (Limited Edition)$100 – 120Ambush or Conical$60 – 80Spherical or Cylindrical$40 – 50Rectangular (Machine – made)$5 – 15

Figurine or Seamed shapes state newer manufacturing of a lower valuation.

3. Bottle Color

Vintage cologne bottles from the 17th – 18th century are clear and transparent. They may have a slight brown or green tint, but they aren’t opaque and display the contents clearly. So, they have a high valuation from $40 – 50, depending on the level of the scent inside.

Similarly, deluxe colors like blue and teal cost more due to their low availability. In contrast, black, white, and brown bottles are more common and affordable. Lastly, modern bare metal or galvanized bottles are the least valued at $1-2.

Check the table below for more information on the use and value of different colors:

ColorPurposeAverage ValueClear or TransparentDisplay the contents and quantity clearly.$40 – 50Emerald Green or Peacock BlueAdd more class and an ‘Art-Deco’ feel$25 – 30Black, White, or Beige Hide the contents and reduce evaporation$15 – 20Pastel Green or PinkAdd a feminine charm during the ‘new woman’ movement$10 – 12Cobalt Blue or TealReduce heat and increase the shelf-life$40 – 50Bare Metal or SilverReduce purchasing costs and hide the contents$1 – 2

Never buy opaque, translucent, or frosted perfume bottles as they are new and low-valued.

4. Branding

Image: Foto made by Farina, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons

Branded or company-manufactured bottles from the late 1850s and 19th century fetch good returns. They are highly regarded and have an intricately-carved banjo or falcon-style design. And they might have gold or silver filaments that increase their value further.

Generally, these bottles are internationally manufactured and might feature regional culture, birds, and flowers. So, they are exclusive and pricey due to their limited availability.

Perfume bottles with a clear paper label and manufacturer’s logo cost $200 – 300, whereas embossed ones fetch up to $100 at the auction.

Here’s a list of some vintage perfume brands and their valuation for reference:

Perfume NameManufacturerYearShapeValuationCameo Perfume BottleGalle French1900Banjo or Inflated Cylinder$17,000 – 18,000Cased Cameo Glass PerfumeThomas Webb1880Elongated fish with golden gills$15,000 – 16,000Cameo Glass Dresser ScentThomas Webb1885Tear-shaped with Owl painting$10,000 – 10,500Glass Citron CologneThomas Webb1880Bulb-shaped or Spherical$11,000 – 11,500Crystal Butterfly CollectionR. Lalique1925Butterfly$9000 – 9500

Look out for international or European brands or signature colognes for better valuation and limited-edition shapes.

5. Rarity

Limited-edition or exclusive royal perfume bottles are valuable, despite their age and branding. These small bottles come in portable cases that save them from damage. And they are further classified as follows:

• Rarely Available: These are bird or shell bottles with less than 500 bottles worldwide. They might have crystal corks or golden embellishments that raise their valuation.
• Rare: These bottles have about 500 – 1000 pieces in circulation. They are new but might have shiny jewel-cut siding that increases their valuation.
• Common: These are modern amber or brown bottles with metal caps and gold lettering. They are commonly available and have more than 2000 pieces in circulation. So, they have low demand and a lower valuation of $30 – 40.

Here’s a list of some rare cologne bottles for better appraisal:

NameManufacturerYearValuationShapeColorFougeres Perfume BottleRene Lalique1912$33,600Oval with a woman’s carving at the centerTeal and YellowTresor Cache Perfume BottleBaccarat1926$54,000DiamondBlack and PurpleBacarrat OsirisVinolia1914$102,000Heart-shapedTransparentCameo Perfume BottleGalle French1900$17,500CuboidalFrosted Black

Look out for silver and metal embellishments, animal or floral designs and chiseled crystal caps to identify rare, limited-edition bottles.

6. Labels

Old perfume bottles with paper labels are more precious than embossed ones. These labels have logos and warnings that help track the age and manufacturer. So, bottles with a clear patent or trademark are more valuable.

Here’s a list of some sample warnings and their production years for reference:

Label Matter or WarningYear of Manufacture‘ Sample, Not to be sold’ ‘Dummy, not for sale’1950‘ Returning this bottle to the perfumer is national duty’1940 – 45 (World War 2)‘ Created, Compounded or Assembled’1940Zip code or Production label1960 and beyond

Old bottles with the initials TDSP etched on them are more valuable and internationally manufactured. But embossed or stamped lettering may indicate newer 20th Century bottles.

7. Bottle Condition

Image: Émile Gallé, CC BY-SA 4.0

Old perfume bottles with leftover perfume stains, oiled corks, and bubbles are precious. But those with torn labels, missing corks, and chipped surfaces have a lower valuation. Similarly, bottles with fading citrus or vinegar are relatively cheaper.

Here’s a table to understand some common cost deductions:

DeformityOriginal ValueExpected Cost DeductionMisplaced corks and stoppers$20 – 3020 – 25%Torn or Yellowed labels $10 – 1510 – 12%Stuck dust or debris$10 – 12 (if clean)5 – 6%Faded cologne smell$50 – 60 (for strong sandalwood smells)5 – 6%Chips or cracked edges and seams$100 – 12015 – 20%

Do not rinse the perfume bottles with soap as you might scrub off all the scents and devalue them.

8. Spray Size

Perfume bottles with larger sprays and bulbous atomizers are old and high-valued. In contrast, newer perfumes with vial sprays and smaller atomizers are affordable. And refillable or cap-free atomizers are more modern and not valued much.

Onion-skin, Viscose, or thin celluloid atomizers are old, precious, and might fetch a valuation of $100 – 120.

9. Perfume Quantity

Full or half-filled bottles with strong scents are precious. But empty, leaky, or adulterated colognes are cheaper and might fetch only $3 – 4 at the auction.

Similarly, citrus or floral smells are cheaper. But, wooden aromas like Sandalwood or Guiac wood scents are valuable.

Never buy vintage perfume vials as they have low demand and won’t fetch returns at any auction.

Tips to Identify & Value Old Perfume Bottles

• Pick smaller, 2 – 5 inch old perfume bottles for better valuation and high pricing.
• Look out for crystal, glass, or wood corks to increase the valuation by 3 – 4%. Plastic, Bakelite, or Metal caps are newer and won’t affect the appraisal.
• Check the bottle’s base and look for some warnings or trademarks to track the bottle easily.
• Choose free-blown or hand-molded scent bottles with a pontil mark for a better valuation. Machine-made bottles with transparent surfaces have a low valuation.
• Pick international or European brands for high returns. Local American bottles will have a narrower lip and a smaller atomizer.
• Store the bottle in a cool, shady place to maintain its smell and increase the shelf-life.
• Never place a rare perfume bottle in moist places, bathrooms, and shelves, as it might catch fungus and lose its value.

Are Old Perfume Bottles Valuable?

Yes, old perfume bottles are valuable and fetch about $100 – 1,000, depending on their age, color, shape and brand. Generally, international, transparent, or blue bottles are valuable. But even hand-molded, filled, or sandalwood scent bottles yield good returns.

Do People Buy Old Perfume Bottles?

Yes, people buy old perfume bottles for their own collection, use or for the unique scents and side paintings that they possess. Or, they even resale them at a higher value to museums or antique shops. Old medicine bottles are equally precious too!

Where Can I Sell My Rare Perfume Bottles?

You can sell rare scent bottles on e-commerce websites like eBay, Etsy, Amazon, or your own website. Or, you can visit local antique stores or auction houses and put your item for a bid.

Antique perfume bottles are a great collectible for your wardrobe. And you can even receive a fortune on it if you learn to value and age it correctly. So, you must know all the vintage colors, brands, shapes, and labels for better understanding and valuation.

Now, we know that opaque black or metal-capped perfume bottles are much cheaper and common. But do black liquor bottles have a lower valuation too? Jump to our guide on ‘ How to identify & value antique liquor bottles’ to know it all!

The Bottle Itself:

Bottles embossed with or having labels marked "Made in Occupied Japan" were made from September 1945 until April 1952.

Enameled lettering, also known as serigraphy (instead of labels), on glass bottles started being used after the 1930s and was pretty regular feature in the 1940s onward. This lettering was made via silkscreen process is quite fragile and can be easily lost with cleaning.

Look for a patent number on the base of the bottle, these patent dates were frequent in the 1930s and 1940s, you can look up the number on search engines on US patent webpages online. If your number is prefaced with the letter D, this means it is a design patent. Also, English Registry Design numbers can also be found on perfume bottles from the United Kingdom, you can search the numbers online also.

Old glass bottles might have etched numbers on the base of the perfume bottle and on the bottom of the stopper plug. The incised markings on the base are also to be found on the base of the stopper plug. These numbers should match. They were done at the factory when the bottle and stopper were ground to fit one another for a precise, airtight fit. At the end of the production line, after being filled with perfume, the bottle was then matched up with its corresponding stopper, then sealed with cording around its neck, paper labels were affixed, then boxed up and ready to be shipped off to the retailer. These were usually found on French crystal bottles such as Baccarat, but are also found on Bohemian ones. Remember, just because there are incised numbers - it doesn't automatically mean it is Baccarat. It is entirely possible to find mismatched bases and stoppers, this usually happens from employee error, but can also happen later in the bottle's life, when someone tries to replace a broken or missing stopper and finds a loose one floating around on the market. 

Older bottles stamped their name and origin somewhere on the bottle. Most of the perfume bottles you will likely come across are marked "Made in France" on the base. In the 1940s, stickers replaced the stamping but were soon lost or destroyed, making it difficult to authenticate. From 1936 onward, Baccarat bottles will systematically be marked with an acid stamp on the base. Prior to this, paper labels were affixed, but could be lost over time. 

Older bottles from the 1930s-40s may have lot numbers, bottle shape numbers or patent numbers embossed right into the glass base. These are generally American made bottles, but British made bottles may have the English Registry numbers, which are prefixed with "Rd......" or "Rgd...."

By 1970, cosmetic companies were stamping colored numbers on the bottom of their products. This stamping usually consisted of four numbers and was visible on the bottom of each item and is a "batch code", which is used by the company to note what year and month the product was created. Batch codes are often found either stamped on the glass or the label. Later, many bottles often have their batch codes engraved into the glass; (Chanel, Dior, Thierry Mugler, etc).

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic coated glass bottles were first made in 1953. In 1952, the Bristol-Myers Company announced the details of a successful method of coating aerosol bottles with plastic. The Wheaton Glass Company of Millville, NJ acquired the rights to this process and made plastic-coated bottles available to the perfume industry starting in 1953 and continued to manufacture them into the 1970s I believe. These bottles are made distinctive by their rubbery feeling surfaces and were fitted with aerosol sprays. The first product packaged in a plastic-coated bottle was a fragrance by Corday, Fame. Other companies such as Avon, Dana, Elizabeth Arden, Studio Girl, Legend of Love, Coty, and Prince Matchabelli used these for various perfume mists and colognes. 

The shapes of the bottles varies as much as the colors used. Most notably, Estee Lauder made use of a turquoise blue shade for its famous Youth Dew fragrance. But beware! Estee Lauder brought back that blue coated bottle recently . In 1958, Coty had color coordinated bottles to represent their most popular fragrances, Emeraude in dark green or pastel green, L'Aimant in pastel pink or darker pink, both Paris and Muguet des Bois in blue, L'Origan in black, etc. Dana used a fuchsia color for their Ambush, but chose black for their Tabu scent for a more elegant, mysterious appearance. Avon ran the gamut when it came to colorizing their fragrances, many of their colognes are in these bottles including A Mist of Roses, Persian Wood, Occur. Many of the other plastic coated Avon cologne bottles can be found in different shapes.

More standardized packaging was introduced after August 1975 due to an increase in crude oil prices used in glass and plastic containers. Manufacturers cut back on fancy bottle shapes in favor of the plain stock bottles. These plain stock bottles are also referred to as "omnibus" bottles. They were generally used for the entire line of fragrances. Chanel is a company that uses omnibus bottles for most of its line, you'll notice that the classic Chanel bottle is its trademark.

Manufacturers also reported an increase in alternatives to the aerosol packaging that was so ubiquitous in the 1950s and 1970s. Pump sprays , known as "Natural Sprays" with no gas propellants were said to be safer to use and equal or less in price than aerosols. Natural Spray bottles, that dispensed fine "metered mists" were used as early as 1963 by Lanvin for their perfume Arpege (Lanvin claimed gas is a more volatile propellant than air). In 1966, D'Orsay offered its natural sprays which they called "Mist Unique."

Today, those aerosol bottles have a tendency to leak during air transport or to continuously spray, severely draining your bottle and wasting the juice- it happened to me with a vintage 1970s Madame Rochas aerosol canister bottle, which continued to spray, I had to put it inside a bag to contain the liquid. Also aerosol propellants and their rubber gaskets inside the bottle are known to have changed the scent in a negative way over the years.

Roll-on applicators were also on the rise. So called "perfume pens" with rubber sponge tipped applicators were seen mostly in the 1980s, today many of the rubber sponge tips can be found degraded due to contact with the alcohol in the perfume and can render them no longer usable.

Older bottles stamped their name and origin somewhere on the bottle. Most of the perfume bottles you will likely come across are marked "Made in France" on the base. In the 1940s, stickers replaced the stamping but were soon lost or destroyed, making it difficult to authenticate. From 1936 onward, Baccarat bottles will systematically be marked with an acid stamp on the base. Prior to this, paper labels were affixed, but could be lost over time.Older bottles from the 1930s-40s may have lot numbers, bottle shape numbers or patent numbers embossed right into the glass base. These are generally American made bottles, but British made bottles may have the English Registry numbers, which are prefixed with "Rd......" or "Rgd...."By 1970, cosmetic companies were stamping colored numbers on the bottom of their products. This stamping usually consisted of four numbers and was visible on the bottom of each item and is a "batch code", which is used by the company to note what year and month the product was created. Batch codes are often found either stamped on the glass or the label. Later, many bottles often have their batch codes engraved into the glass; (Chanel, Dior, Thierry Mugler, etc).

Labels:

Old labels turn brown naturally due to oxidation of the paper, however, water and perfume can cause stains on labels over the years. 

The styles of the boxes or labels can also help determine age. Art Nouveau is generally 1890-1920s, Art Deco mid 1920s and some styles carried into the 1940s, psychedelic late 1960s-early 1970s. Please note that this isn't always foolproof due to trends and style revivals as there are some periods during the Psychedelic period where a revival of Art Nouveau was enjoyed.. 

On bottles destined for the Mexican market, you may find labels with a number and the initials "TDSP", this stands for "Tratado sobre el Derecho Sustantivo de Patentes" which means "Substantive Patent Law Treaty." I have found these small paper labels on bottles from the 1930s and 1940s. The companies found were Chanel, Bourjois, Lentheric, Myrurgia, Guerlain, Bienaime, Isabey and Ciro. I am sure there are plenty others. This was a trademark for the perfume name itself  such as Chanel No. 5. or Surrender by Ciro. These names were registered in Mexico in the "Industria y Comercia de México" and the "Cromos" trade journals to protect the brands from counterfeiters and competitors.

At the beginning of the 20th century, revenue stamps appeared on the imported scents coming into America. This stamped container is considered very collectible to stamp collectors, because of the information on that stamp. This makes it a cross-collectible and increases value.On bottles destined for the Mexican market, you may find labels with a number and the initials "TDSP", this stands for "Tratado sobre el Derecho Sustantivo de Patentes" which means "Substantive Patent Law Treaty." I have found these small paper labels on bottles from the 1930s and 1940s. The companies found were Chanel, Bourjois, Lentheric, Myrurgia, Guerlain, Bienaime, Isabey and Ciro. I am sure there are plenty others. This was a trademark for the perfume name itself such as Chanel No. 5. or Surrender by Ciro. These names were registered in Mexico in the "Industria y Comercia de México" and the "Cromos" trade journals to protect the brands from counterfeiters and competitors.

Always look at all sides of a bottle. Some labels can be read from both sides, looking thru the back of the bottle. You might encounter labels which have the date stamped on the back of the labels. Sample bottles from the 1950s onward, often had labels that would say "sample, not to be sold". Today's bottles read "tester". Factice, or display bottles, filled with colored water to simulate perfume, were not meant for resale, and will have labels such as: "dummy, not for sale". Sometimes a date is also stamped on the backside of the label, I have seen this with old Chanel and Lanvin bottles. Chanel bottles from the 1960s onward may have the backs of their labels marked with a copyright symbol and the "CC" logo. 

If your bottle has a label which states: "returning this bottle to the perfumer is a national duty"...then your bottle dates from 1940-1945 during World War II. These bottles, when used up by consumers, would be sent back to the French perfume factories to be refilled and resold. This was a very cost effective practice as bottle manufacturing was no doubt put on hold and had restrictions due to the war, but I wonder how much was actually sent back to the perfumers, and how much actually made it there.

If your label states that the perfume was "created/compounded/assembled" in France or USA, it dates to after the 1940s and most likely dates to the 1950s. This is due to the Federal Trade Commission's crack down on domestic perfumes being fraudulently labeled as coming from France. If an American perfume branch of a French company, for example, Guerlain, imported the perfume essences and filled the bottles in America, they had to mention "created/compounded/assembled." American companies realized that by using American alcohol and American manufactured bottles, they could cut costs from customs duties and increase profits. All they had to do was import the perfume oils and mix them domestically in their American factories.

The presence of clear labels indicating contents were first used around the 1950s. These are either on the front, back or base of your bottle.

If your bottle has a label stating SDA (Specially Denatured Alcohol) it dates to the 1940s-1950s.

If your box or label has a number with a degree symbol, this notes the perfume or cologne's alcohol percentage. Two common percentages are 80% and 90% for eau de toilette and cologne. This helps date the bottle to after the 1950s.

A Zip Code on a label denotes age meaning this bottle is from 1962 or later. Before 1937, no zip codes were used. From 1937 to 1962, two code numbers were used on mail and labels. In 1962, all zip codes were required by the US Postal Service.

By Manufacturer:

Lalique perfumes were marked with a signature on the bases. The signature has

Look on the base of your bottle for acid stamps for Baccarat, Lalique, Cristal Nancy or Cristal Romesnil, these markings add value to your bottle. Cristal Nancy closed their doors in 1934. Only from 1936, Baccarat bottles were systematically engraved with a mark. Prior to this, they were acid etched, stamped and some had round paper labels, while many have no distinguishing marks.Lalique perfumes were marked with a signature on the bases. The signature has changed over the years and you can date a bottle by the style of the signature. Older bottles are marked R. Lalique in block lettering. You can look up various websites or books on Lalique to find signatures and the dates they were used. If your bottle is signed Rene Lalique or R. Lalique, this mark was used until 1945 when Rene Lalique died, after this date bottles will be simply marked Lalique France.

If your bottle has an embossed entwined HP mark on the base of the bottle, it was made by the glass factory of Pochet et du Courval in France after 1930.

If your bottle is marked S or SGD on the base, it was manufactured by the Saint Gobain Desjonqueres glass factory of France after the 1950s, when the factory was rebuilt after WWII and equipped with modern fully-automatic machinery.

If your bottle has a VB, or BR mark on the base, it was made by Verreries Brosse of France after the 1920s when the factory installed semi-automatic bottle making machines. In 1963, Brosse switched from making hand ground stoppers to precision machine grinding. In 1976, Brosse patented two new stopper innovations, the first is a ring made of polypropylene with horizontal joints placed on the stopper dowel. The second is a polypropylene coating of the stopper dowel designed with internal friction teeth. So if your glass stopper had a plastic cap on the end of its dowel, you can be sure it dates to the 1970s - onward. This goes for ANY perfume bottle, not just VB, with the plastic cap on the dowel plug.

If your bottle is marked Gaillard, J. Viard or J. Villard, it was made during 1900-1920s. Lucien Gaillard was a contemporary of Lalique and designed many Art Nouveau perfume bottles for notable French perfume houses such as Clamy and Violet. Julien Viard was a French glass designer of the 1920s and designed bottles for Richard Hudnut, Isabey, Favolys and Langlois. Both Gaillard and Viard collaborated and you might find the mark of J. Villard on some bottles. Both Viard and Gaillard signed bottles are considered high calibre and are coveted by collectors today.

Do you have a vintage perfume and need help in figuring out how old it may be? Simply knowing when your perfume first came out can be a huge help, but it helps to remember that some perfumes were made for many years after their launch dates. On the other hand, some perfumes were only sold for a very short time. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you figure out the age of your perfume bottle.If your bottle is marked Gaillard, J. Viard or J. Villard, it was made during 1900-1920s. Lucien Gaillard was a contemporary of Lalique and designed many Art Nouveau perfume bottles for notable French perfume houses such as Clamy and Violet. Julien Viard was a French glass designer of the 1920s and designed bottles for Richard Hudnut, Isabey, Favolys and Langlois. Both Gaillard and Viard collaborated and you might find the mark of J. Villard on some bottles. Both Viard and Gaillard signed bottles are considered high calibre and are coveted by collectors today.