The glass we use in our jewelry is called dichroic glass. The glass was first developed for scientific applications such as lasers and space mirrors. Vaporized metal oxides are deposited in microscopically thin layers using a specialized vacuum chamber. The type of metal oxides used and the number of layers determines the final color. There are no pigments used in dichroic glass. The raw material is perfectly clear. The colors in the glass are produced from the light being bent in a prism effect, exactly like what occurs in rainbows and dragonfly wings. Unlike dyes or pigments which absorb 50 percent of the light, about 95 percent of the light is reflected back to your eyes. This phenomena accounts for the unusual brilliance of the glass. Our process involves using many layers of thin glass and many steps to arrive at a finished piece. We fire the glass in a kiln four or five times to achieve just the right effect. Each firing is at precise temperatures between 1300 and 1450 degrees depending on the stage. A firing can take up to 15 hours as the glass must heat and cool very slowly. When the firing is over, we then cut, shape, and polish the finished pieces. We hope you enjoy wearing our jewelry. We have a great time making it.
Shown at right: Modern dichroic art glass Platter in Blues & Multi - Please call our studio for current color selections and prices.
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