1980s

Confetti

The Confetti was the last GemLite model to be produced, after the Continental and the International were discontinued in 1987. Like older models, they came complete with a colored sticker which could be applied to the underside of the bottle; on the Confetti, this first had only pink and blue, then added yellow, then green. Unlike other GemLites, there was never a Lava Lite using this base.

Originally, only model 650 was offered. In 1990, as part of the 25th Anniversary celebration, three “Hot New Colors!” (as catalogs proclaimed) were added: a brass/gold complement, and black bases with two colored liquids. The pink model is very rare, the blue & brass even rarer.

GemLamp

The GemLamp is a very rare model. It featured a Confetti model GemLite attached to a circular chrome pedestal. A chrome pipe extended up, dog-legged over the globe, and supported an ordinary table lamp socket, harp & shade. The original shade was a conical, pleated off-white fabric type. The example depicted above has been refilled.

Princess

The Princess (another re-used model name) appeared in 1990 as part of Lava’s 25th Anniversary. The next 32 oz. lamp after the Midnight, its finish is white, earlier ones having a matte finish, later ones glossy. Two of its first three colors were exclusive at the time: 06 red & 08 yellow (see below). The Midnight also got purple. In 1992, screw-caps were switched to crimped bottlecaps, and both models acquired another color: 16 black/clear.

Regarding the starred colors: The Coach Lantern, the last lamp to use color 06 red/clear, disappeared after 1989, and this color number was repurposed as “coral red.” In about 1993, red number 10 was introduced, and was the same shade as the old 06; “coral red” was lighter. Color 08 was lemon yellow, usually just referred to as yellow by catalogs; at the same time that color 10 appeared, color 11 appeared, also “yellow,” which was a paler color. It didn’t last very long.

The Princess was not part of the Electric series, but were often lumped in. The first catalog page showing the Electric (originally spelled Elec-Trick) also showed the black/clear Midnight & Princess.