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Unless otherwise stated, all items we sell are handmade, unique and individual. They are made using either pure 99.9% silver, sterling silver, 14ct gold filled wire (not plated) and glass or swarovski beads. All are one-off pieces which are eye-catching and original.
dichroic glass jewellery
Dichroic glass is glass containing multiple micro-layers of metal oxides which give the glass dichroic optical properties. Dichroic glass filters light so that the colours within seem to change as the glass moves. The invention of dichroic glass is often erroneously attributed to NASA and its contractors, who developed it for use in dichroic filters but in actual fact dichroic glass dates back to at least the 4th century AD.
Manufacture of Dichroic Glass
Multiple ultra-thin layers of different metals (gold, silver), metal oxides (titanium, chromium, aluminium, zirconium, magnesium) and silica are vaporised by an electron beam in a vacuum chamber. The vapour then condenses on the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure. This is sometimes followed by a protective layer of quartz crystal.
The finished glass can have as many as 30 to 50 layers of these materials yet the thickness of the total coating is approximately 30 to 35 millionths of an inch (about 760 to 890 nm). The coating that is created is very similar to a gemstone and, by careful control of thickness, different colours are obtained.
Uses for Dichroic glass in Jewellery Making
In our jewellery workshop we use dichroic glass to create handmade, unique, kiln fused glass jewellery. The main characteristic of dichroic glass is that it has a transmitted colour and a completely different reflected colour, as certain wavelengths of light either pass through or are reflected. This causes an array of colour to be displayed. The colours shift depending on the angle of view. The effect is stunning and dichroic glass jewellery is possibly the most wonderful fused glass jewellery you'll ever see, full of light and colour. Each piece of jewellery you'll see on our website is handcrafted and the glass is fused using traditional techniques in specialist glass kilns. Due to variations in the firing process, individual results can never be exactly predicted, so each piece of fused dichroic glass is unique so you can be sure you're wearing something special.
A plate of dichroic glass can be fused with other glass in multiple firings. Over 45 colours of dichroic coatings are available to be placed on any glass substrate. Images can be formed by removing the dichroic coating from parts of the glass, creating everything from abstract patterns to letters, animals, or faces.
End Product
Most of our pieces will have been fused at least 3 times to achieve the desired result. Once designed, prepared, and fired the cabochon will have a silver bail attached to it or some other method for wearing. The piece is much stronger than normal glass and will not break when dropped. It will not lose colour or change in any way. You will have a long lasting piece of enviable jewellery to wear on any occasion.