Gemlite Mystiques - One lava, one glitter

Snagged a lucky BIN on eBay! The one on the left was badly smoke damaged, but a Magic Eraser cleaned that right up. It's been refilled with blue/purple US Lava Lite contents. Also missing its top (anyone have one? Long shot, I know!). One on the right is an original Gemlite Mystique in great shape - need a bit of solder on one of the joins though. Both bottoms are warped from the heat (plastic), but nothing a few little rubber feet won't fix.

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Albums: Glitter lamps, old and new

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Comment by Modulo '70 on March 9, 2012 at 6:24am: Loving these GemLites

Comment by Erin on March 1, 2012 at 10:27am: Thanks for all the tips Jonas! I do have little rubber feet on both of the lamps right now. If I didn't, they would wobble. I like the idea of the black plexiglass! I never would have thought of that! I was thinking stained black wood, but I like the plexi idea better. As always, your input is invaluable!

Comment by Jonas Clark-Elliott on March 1, 2012 at 4:40am: Square lamps were also made in France, where they're extremely common in countless interesting variants, some with the globe entirely encased on a solid-looking metal shell with holes or windows.

Comment by Jonas Clark-Elliott on March 1, 2012 at 4:38am: Globe is 3" square and 10" tall in total, including neck and cap. About 5" of the globe shows. Both the square and oval bottles were produced as liquor bottles; several of them have the contents on ounces (a requirement for liquor bottles) and a few have "LIQUOR BOTTLE" embossed on the bottom!

Comment by Bowlerhat on March 1, 2012 at 2:45am: Seem interesting for a square globe lava lamp...

Hot tall/how wide is the globe?

Comment by Jonas Clark-Elliott on February 29, 2012 at 10:44am: Use rubber feet to fit the bottoms. Or heat them intensely with a heat gun, while the base is upside-down (be careful of burning or bubbling) and then, wearing heatproof work gloves, press the 'bulge' flat and hold it while it cools.

For the missing top, go to a sign shop that works with Plexiglas and bring a complete top (steel and plastic parts). Have them cut a new plate of 1/8" (or slightly less if they have it) black Plexi, then have them glue on some tiny scraps so that it won't wiggle. They use a special chemical glue (actually a chlorinated solvent similar to what's in the fast glitters) that causes the two pieces of Plexi to liquefy and then solidify as one piece. If you want it to be really detailed, and they have the tools, have them "fire polish" the edges and corners - or do it yourself with a pen torch. Just a quick run-over with a hot, focused flame will polish and soften corners and edges.

These are spectacular lamps, and that refill is classy. The lava ones are much rarer than glitter in both Mystique and Continental.

Comment by Erin on February 28, 2012 at 3:34pm: I didn't refill - it came this way. Previous owner (who used to be a member here) either changed them or he bought them this way. Good to know on the plastic bases. I kinda figured this was the case. I got some little rubber feet on them now and it's much better.

Comment by Dr. WHAT?! on February 28, 2012 at 3:22pm: I was like wha... they made them in that color?! lol what were the contents before you refilled? And the warped bottom is all too common with these. There is really nothing you can do, they just used crappy plastic when making these. Both mine are the same way, but either way these are rare and awesome to own. Nothing flows like Gemlite glitter ;-)