I think one of the reasons I have such a passion for vintage or antique dishes is the enjoyment I get from finding out all I can about them. Recently I’ve been searching for information about this very colorful vintage dinnerware set. Each piece is marked with the distinctive Hazel Atlas “H over A” trademark, so that was a good place to begin. I soon discovered that this dinnerware is made of a type of glass called Platonite… a semi-opaque white glass that has a somewhat fragile appearance and is more translucent than milk glass.
It is often described as having an “almost see-through” quality. The bright colors are fired on to the surfaces of the dishes but the undersides remain an intense white. 
(And that white does not photograph well… the trademark would not show until I photographed it at an angle and in shadow.)
Apparently the colors in this set are called the Sierra colors… aqua, gold, gray, and rust. Some collectors and sellers call the gold butterscotch or mustard, the rust pumpkin and the aqua turquoise or teal. I found many sellers confusing the Platonite with ordinary milk glass. Other sellers categorized these dishes as Moderntone, 
but further research has convinced me that my dishes are actually from Hazel Atlas’s Ovide line.
Moderntone and Ovide do look very similar, but the Moderntone cups have a squared off handle and the Moderntone plates have concentric ridges running around the plate. The Ovide cups have a rounded handle and the plain Ovide plates lack the concentric ridges.
Ovide is said to be the most commonly found pattern of Hazel Atlas Platonite dinnerware, and it was available in many colors during the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Serving bowl:
7 1/4″ diameter, 2 1/4″ deep
Serving platter:
9 1/2″ by 12″
Salad plate:
6 7/8″ diameter
Cup:
3 3/4″ diameter,
2 1/8″ deep
Saucer:
5 5/8″ diameter
Dinner plate:
9″ diameter
Soup bowl:
8″ diameter, 1 1/2″ deep
Obviously this set was sold as a service for twelve. There would have been four each of the rust and aqua dinner plates, salad plates, soup bowls and cups and saucers… and two each of these in gray and gold. I have two serving platters in gold and one serving bowl in aqua. Was there perhaps a second serving bowl in the set?
There are now fifty-three pieces of this dinnerware remaining (including an extra cup with no saucer). I remember my mother using it a lot, but all of the remaining pieces are still in perfect condition. Almost all of the dishes missing (and I presume broken) from this set were gray or gold… I wonder if the lighter colors were more fragile for some reason.
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G.H.
Such beautiful dishes! It is wonderful that you have sentiment attached to them as well. I love dishes from the 1930s through 1950s and collect Fiesta. My orginal collection started with the remaining pieces from my high school’s homemaking dept. I go antiquing a lot but do not recall seeing these Hazel Atlas dishes very often. Perhaps they were not as common in my region. I will have to keep them in mind now.
Beverley
Love those colors! How wonderful that you have this beautiful dinner ware that belonged to your mom. Thanks for sharing its story with us.
Danielle
My sister in law has a few pieces of Modern Tone in the pastel colors and you’re right – the cup handles are shaped very differently from yours. I like the vibrant colors of your set so much. So cheerful and bright. Love this blog.
Jenn Z.
I appreciate the photo of the Hazel Atlas backstamp. I had actually read somewhere that this backstamp is from Anchor Hocking and after I read this post I looked up both backstamps and you are correct, the H over A is definitely Hazel Atlas which means that I do have some Hazel Atlas pieces. Woo hoo!!! Thanks so much for your informative posts. I value your accuracy and interesting articles.
Jo
These are beautiful! You are fortunate to have a set in such great condition. I love the agua serving bowl the best.
I see we share the same passion for old dishes. I buy and sell online very often. Right now I am collecting Homer Laughlin’s Riviera line in mauve blue and bright yellow. Very difficult to find a dinner plate without a chip. But that’s the fun and challenge of collecting.
I like to think of old and fragile dishes, the ones who made it through so many years, as individuals who have made it through thick and thin down through the years. : )
Jo
Perhaps your mother liked the gold and grey dishes more and they had more wear than the others? That makes them doubly valuable!
Pat
I have been trying to find out about some pieces I came across packed away in an old barn. I am not a collector and know nothing! That being said, I know the pieces have the Hazel Atlas logo on the bottom. My research tells me they are the Ovide Platonite dinnerware. They are in good condition. They consist of 4 plates. 4 bowls and 4 saucers w/o cups. Also the colors are 1 each of grey, yellow, dark green and dark red. I was wondering if they are safe to use, are they microwaveable and is there any monetary value. I just stumbled across your blog and was excited to see your dinnerware. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank You and God Bless!
V.C.
Your blog is really nice. Excellent work… keep up the good work!