Gem Lite Questions

[Michael]

I just posted a few pictures of my Gem lite table lamp and I was hoping some fellow senior members might have more information on it. Sticker under the cap reads Nov 1979. I've had it for at least 5-6 years now and always forget to include it with my collection photos. I know for certain it is factory-original, though the shade is not. It came from an antique store without the shade and when I first purchased it, it still had the original blue and red plastic color disk glued to the bottom of the globe, I have since removed it because it was melting and warping. I also know at one point a member here had a vintage catalog with it pictured. Any help would be greatly appreciated...

[Michael]

Here's one picture, the others are in my album.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Ahh, here we go - I commented on the photos before I saw the discussion. This is called a GemLamp, and was probably made for a very short time, I would estimate in the 1979-1983 range. It's essentially a model 650 'Confetti' GemLite modded with a chrome base and support into a table lamp, and it is pictured in catalogs with a shade similar in shape, size and color to what you're using, but in accordion-pleat type. It's great to have a positive date on one!

 

It is VERY rare, along with some other short-run idea lamps such as the late 60s Kaleido-Lite and its early 70s counterpart the Silver Spinner, the tunnel-effect Infinite Motion Lite, and the bizarre water-filled Liqua-Lite, a precursor to today's air bubble columns. Yours has a teensy bit of fluid loss, but is worth keeping original. The color disk was a sticker provided with the lamp and was optional, thus your lamp is still "original" without it, but some people have painted stripes of the craft store paint-your-own stained glass gel-paint to add the same effect. Continental (oval) and Mystique (square) GemLites always had four-color stickers (red or pink, yellow, green, blue) as did later Confettis, but early Confettis had only three-color (red, yellow, blue I believe, been a while since I've seen one). Naturally, the yellow stripe must be the smallest, blue the biggest.

 

Do NOT uncap these - the liquid is not "user friendly" and evaporates quickly. Also, use only a 15w bulb in the GemLite. Is the switch on the lamp socket three way (GemLite, upper bulb, both, off)? And is there ONLY a switch on the socket, none on the cord? Any sticker on the underside?

[Michael]

Yes, the lamp switch is a three way, gemlite only, top only and both. It's good to know it is still original without the disk. Was it you by any chance that had the catalog with it pictured, Jonas?

Jonas Clark-Elliott said:

Ahh, here we go - I commented on the photos before I saw the discussion. This is called a GemLamp, and was probably made for a very short time, I would estimate in the 1979-1983 range. It's essentially a model 650 'Confetti' GemLite modded with a chrome base and support into a table lamp, and it is pictured in catalogs with a shade similar in shape, size and color to what you're using, but in accordion-pleat type. It's great to have a positive date on one!

 

It is VERY rare, along with some other short-run idea lamps such as the late 60s Kaleido-Lite and its early 70s counterpart the Silver Spinner, the tunnel-effect Infinite Motion Lite, and the bizarre water-filled Liqua-Lite, a precursor to today's air bubble columns. Yours has a teensy bit of fluid loss, but is worth keeping original. The color disk was a sticker provided with the lamp and was optional, thus your lamp is still "original" without it, but some people have painted stripes of the craft store paint-your-own stained glass gel-paint to add the same effect. Continental (oval) and Mystique (square) GemLites always had four-color stickers (red or pink, yellow, green, blue) as did later Confettis, but early Confettis had only three-color (red, yellow, blue I believe, been a while since I've seen one). Naturally, the yellow stripe must be the smallest, blue the biggest.

 

Do NOT uncap these - the liquid is not "user friendly" and evaporates quickly. Also, use only a 15w bulb in the GemLite. Is the switch on the lamp socket three way (GemLite, upper bulb, both, off)? And is there ONLY a switch on the socket, none on the cord? Any sticker on the underside?

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Biggest copy I have. Anyone have a bigger scan? Astro might.

 

Montgomery Ward catalog, 1979, also with standard 650 Confetti GemLite, chrome Caribbean Wave Machine, and Lava Lites (red "orange"/yellow Century, red/clear Coach, green/blue Carlisle), plus some blacklight stuff, a color organ bar and Balafires, etc.

 

The Ward 1978 catalog also shows the Mystique and Continental, but not the Confetti or GemLamp, possibly confirming an old rumor that square and oval models were discontinued in 1979. I think the Carlisle lasted until at least '82.