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What IS Dichroic Glass? I'm Glad you asked. 'Dichroic (‘Di*Kro*ik’) glass' is really a misnomer, the dichroic part is actually a very thin film of metal oxides which are too thin to stand alone and have therefore been layered onto a sheet of glass which acts as a substrate to lend the thin film strength. What we commonly refer to as dichroic glass is any glass that is coated with metallic oxides such as silicon, titanium and magnesium in a vacuum furnace using a technology called thin-film physics. Dichroic means 'two colors' and the glass is called this because it reflects one color but transmits another (the color you see when you hold the glass up to the light and look thru it.) It was developed in the early 70's for use in the aerospace industry. Dichroic glass is commonly used in the laser industry and in scientific measuring equipment. You may be most familiar with it as dichroic filters for 35mm cameras or in Pia headlights for trucks and Jeeps. Truly a medium for the 21st Century. Who said physics was no fun? Take home a piece of high technology for your very own today and impress your friends with your new found knowledge! Creation The one thing that drew me to dichroic glass was the color. I love color. When my young daughter asks me what my favorite color is, I say rainbow because I just can't pick one. I have a background in painting, mostly abstract landscape, and my jewelry is influenced greatly by my painting style. I'm also an avid gardener and the colors of nature are a wonderful source of inspiration. Mother Nature has no problem wearing purple, red and green all at the same time and she looks wonderful in them! I take my lead from her in painting and in creating my jewelry. I face each piece of jewelry like a blank canvas, my goal is to make the colors sing! I have theme sets of color that I reproduce but each piece is created on the fly as I sit at my desk (messily shown above), cutting and arranging the many bits and pieces of colored glass. This process can be very meditative..... my mind gnaws on ideas and random thoughts as I sit for hours working peacefully in the studio. Not to say that a random &^%$$ isn't heard every once in a while if I tip the tray as I'm moving it into the kiln <smile>. I use many tools and techniques in creating the various lines we offer. The pieces are fired in a glass kiln up to approx. 1500 degrees F (depending on the desired effect). Some of my pieces are fired several times before I am satisfied with the end result. I have developed several unique techniques for producing some of our lines and continue to pursue new methods, processes and tools. Greg, my husband, creates unique patterns in the dichroic glass which I then use in my work. It's a secret process so if I tell you how then I'll have to kill you.... and since I value you all as friends and customers.... I won't tell you! Greg and I both left the corporate world several years ago and moved to an old farm in Maine. Our goal was/is to pursue a more fulfilling, less stressful lifestyle and a safer environment in which to raise our daughter. I'd like to take a minute to thank you all for your support and your business. That support has allowed me to pursue my dream and has enabled our family to relocated to a beautiful part of America. A valuable gift indeed, so THANK YOU! I wish you all a peaceful and prosperous 2005. My Signature When you look at the back of my pins and pendants you'll see my signature and the year of creation. Sometimes I sign 'Glass Orchids' but most of the time I sign my name with 'ntango' and I thought that you might be wondering what that IS??? Well, the N is for Nancy, the Tang is for my last name and then I share the G from Tang and add an 'O' for GO, which stands for Glass Orchids. Dichroic Glass & Fusing Supplies Many people keep telling me that they can't find out how to get to the place where I sell supplies. I sell a complete line of fusing, PMC, glass and jewelry supplies there. I think you may be coming to this page and then getting lost.... So, here's the link: |
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