Dichroic glass Cabochons for jewelers

SINGLE Dichroic Glass cabs (wholesale priced)
LOT 235 21 grams, 2-1/8 X 1-1/2" $21.85	LOT 248 9 grams, 1-1/4 x 1" $9.85		LOT 254 11 grams, 1-1/2 x 1" $11.85
LOT 257 8 grams, 1" $8.85	LOT 261 8 grams, 1-1/16" $8.85	LOT 262 9 grams, 1-1/16" $9.85	LOT 266 8 grams, 1-1/8 x 1" $8.85
LOT 267 10 grams, 1-1/8 x 1" $10.85	LOT 271 1-3/4" long, 12 grams $12.85	LOT 272 8 grams, 1 x 7/8" $8.85	LOT 281 8 grams, 1-3/8 x 3/4" $8.85
	LOT 289 8 grams, 1-1/4 x 5/8" $8.85	LOT 290 11 grams, 1-3/8 x 1" $11.85	LOT 318 10 grams, 1x1" $10.85
	LOT 330 17 grams, 2 x 1-1/8" $17.85	LOT 359 11 grams, 1-1/4 x 1-1/8" $11.85	LOT 366 14 grams, 1-1/4 x 1-1/4" $14.85
LOT 412 12 grams, 1-5/8 x 1" $12.85	LOT 437 9 grams, 1-1/4 x 1" $9.85	LOT 440 13 grams, 1-3/8 x 1-1/8" $13.85	LOT 519 13 grams, 1-1/2 x 1" $13.85
LOT 539 9 grams, 1-1/4 x 1" $9.85	LOT 547 13 grams, 1-7/8 x 1-1/4" $13.85	LOT 550 15 grams, 1-5/8 x 1-1/4" $15.85	LOT 706 12 grams, 1-3/8 x 1-1/4" $12.85
LOT 713 17 grams, 1-15/16 x 1-3/16" $17.85	LOT 727 16 grams, 1-1/2 x 1-3/8" $16.85	LOT 766 11 grams, 1-1/4 x 1-1/8" $11.85	LOT 777 11 grams, 1-1/4 x 1" $11.85

THE FIRE HOSE VERSION

JUST WHAT IS DICHROIC GLASS?

The word "dichroic" (pronounced DIE-CROW-ICK) means two-colors. It is a glass process that has become a respected "gem" in the jewelry community, as the material used to coat the glass is expensive, and a fully equipped lab is needed to make it. It rivals the beauty of natural gems! It is created by only three glass companies in the U.S.

HISTORY: Dichroic glass was originally developed for the lighting and photo industry. Much like a "sepia" lens for a camera only lets certain wavelengths of light through, causing a photo to develop with a brownish tone, dichroic coatings on clear glass will produce particular color filtrations. Think of stage lighting where they have lights that produce red, blue, and other various shades to make the perfect lighting. Dichroic glass is still used for this throughout the world. NASA does use a dichroic coating on some panels but from what I can gather it's not on glass, in spite of what some websites claim. Due to the art potential in this glass, it was introduced to the glass community.. at a whopping $25.00 per square inch ($3000/square foot)! Today the sheets cost approximately $300.00 per square foot (retail), a huge improvement. Picked up by bead-makers in the early 1990s, it has rapidly become a favorite medium for lamp-workers and glass craftsmen.

HOW IT'S MADE: Multiple layers of metallic oxides & quartz (which can include gold, silver, copper, aluminum, titanium, chromium, magnesium, silicon) are vaporized onto the glass using a laser beam directed into a small pot of the mixture, bonding 16 to 32 coatings of variable thickness (average 1/40th of a sheet of paper--molecularly thin) onto "pumpkins" (19x17" glass that is flat on two ends, rounded on the other ends).

WHAT MAKES IT PRETTY? The angle of the glass within the vacuum chamber determines the color. In actuality, there is no color produced. What you are seeing is pure light manipulation at it finest. The glass reflects one color and refracts another with incredible life and
brilliance. Depending on the texture of the glass, whether it is clear or black, and the kinds of metals used, the reflection transmitted and color range is huge and vastly interesting. The effects are similar to the iridescence observed in nature such as opal, hummingbird feathers and dragonfly wings.

FAST FORWARD TO JEWELRY: A glass artist will cut a piece of the dichroic glass, layer it with clear or colored "frit" which is bits of compatible glass that add texture and color - and fire it. They may add other colors and fire several times until they get the color combination they want, then fire one last time with a clear glass sheet to create depth and a professional finish. It is then either wire wrapped or set in silver or gold as jewelry. No two pieces are EVER alike.

Expect to be stopped wherever you go to explain what GEM you're wearing!

One of our great dichroic customers in Washington State - Ann - created the intricate necklace below using some of our dichroic glass cabochons.

The title of the piece is Fairy Berry Bog because it reminds her of a multicolored blueberry bog. It took about a year of beading time and uses dichroic glass cabs, glass pearls, Swarovski crystals, turquoise rice beads around the edging, and 24k gold plated beads. Price can be requested from Ann at her website below:

Here's http://www.eascarborough.com/beads/ecabworkfol/fberrybog.htm

Thanks for sharing, Ann!

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