Anyone know how to make dichroic glass jewelry?

[eks6426]

A few years ago I went to an art fair and saw the most fascinating jewlery. Pendants that seemed to shimmer and change color based when I moved them. I asked the artist and she said they were fused glass pendants made from layers of dichroic glass. I''ve been thinking I would like to learn how to make these. Does anyone know anything about it? How hard? How expensive? I''ve looked online and it seems reasonably straight forward in theory...

 

[poshpepper]

I love dichroic glass jewelery!!!

It is easy to make them... the hard part is that you have to have the equipment (the oven or kiln) to heat them so that the layers of glass fuse and create the finished pendant. One of my friends had the equipment and we made a few pieces, it was quite fun.

I know the ovens are pretty expensive and it is probably easier to sign up for a class where the school will provide the equipment, usually all you have to provide are the supplies (larger pieces of the dichroic glass can be expensive though).

 

[Harleigh]

I agree with posh...they are simple and fairly inexpensive for the actual materials to piece the jewelry together, but the kiln is where you''ll run into a lot of cost.

Her idea to take a jewelry-making class that is specifically for dichroic pieces is a great idea! I have made several pieces as well as bought, and there is absolutely nothing like it! It''s one of my favorites to center an entire set of jewelry around.

I''d love to see what you end up making if you decide to do it. Good luck!

 

[diamondfan]

those troll beads I was talking about on the other thread have some beads or charms with dichroic glass and they are so pretty! do not know about the process at all though.

 

[monarch64]

I purchased a pendant of this material a couple years ago at a gardening store in my parents'' town...it''s mostly black with hot pinks and bright blues, I receive so many compliments when I wear it, it''s long and rectangular, maybe a half inch by 3.5 inches long and I wear it on a black silk cord with a sterling adjustable clasp. Anywhoo, I will have to add it to pics I need to take and post here! However, I have no idea how to go about making the stuff, I know mine is glass and heated somehow to achieve the beautiful patterns of colors. Maybe I can dig up the card that came with my piece that talks about how the pieces are made...but that might be a very involved project, lol! I know I saved it but I suspect it''s buried in the depths of my "fun" receipts somewhere in one of my closets.

 

[eks6426]

I''m glad to hear that it is not too hard with the right equipment. I would LOVE to take a class but there are none in my area....

Monarch--I''m about 1 1/2 from downtown Chicago. Do you know any places that might have a class on this in Chicagoland? It would need to be on a weekend...won''t work on a work/school night. Any suggestions on places to try would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[AGBF]

After 9/11 I threw myself into raising money for the families of survivors by participating in eBay's Auction for America. (It was my therapy, not altruism, believe me.) I bought trinkets in red white and blue for hundreds of dollars and sold little items that I wrapped up in red, white, and blue tissue and decorated with stickers and mailed out at my own expense for a donation to charities eBay allowed me to support.

One of the unintended consequences of this period of my life is that I became familiar both with beaded earrings (I have some very, very delicately beaded American flag earrings) and dichroic glass jewelry (I have American flag earrings and pins).

I had never seen jewelry like this before. It led me to buy to some Christmas jewelry (tiny glass red Christmas tree earrings and a matching pin, both trimmed in glass of other colors, for instance). If I have the energy, I will photograph some of it. Especially the flags. It is truly beautiful and a primitive/craft art form. At least in my opinion.


Deb