Royal, yes...Star Glow, maybe not

I just made a discovery that will probably surprise many of you as much as it did me. I was looking for replacement prices for what I thought was our set of Royal Star Glow, but all I could find was mustard-colored cups and accessories, so further research was necessary.

I found a thread on the MODish site, which I consider a reliable source, and as it turns out, our set isn't Star Glow at all, but an earlier Royal pattern called Crystal, which had pattern-decorated cups and accessories and a much more atomic shape than the later Star Glow. Crystal was produced in the mid-to-late 50s, while Star Glow was the result of a redesign/rename in the mid-60s and was only produced with the mustard-colored cups and accessories, as well as with redesigned round berry bowls.

Michael Pratt of MODish is very thorough and insists on ephemera to substantiate claims about patterns. After reviewing old newspaper ads, he was convinced that Crystal did, in fact, predate Star Glow. Pratt said of the discovery, "It really is clear that our knowledge of mid-century modern ceramics is not static but increases as new sources of material are uncovered."

1950s Royal Crystal...not Star Glow

Royal Crystal, with pattern-decorated cups and accessories

1960s Star Glow...with mustard cups and redesigned bowls
roberthenryvintage.com

And now I have to find this piece, with a lid that does double duty as a tidbit server. How cool is that?

Royal Crystal casserole with lid that doubles as a tidbit server
modish.net