The Process

 

My fused jewelry is formed by combining opalescent and cathedral glass with a variety of sparkling colors and patterns of a material called dichroic glass. The name dichroic is derived from Greek words meaning “two” and “color” because the glass appears to shift colors depending on the angle at which it is viewed. The brilliant colors of the dichroic glass are created in a vacuum chamber by depositing thin layers of quartz crystal and metal oxides on a glass substrate.

I fire layers of glass which has been coated with these oxides together with compatible Bullseye brand (COE 90) opalescent and cathedral glass in a glass kiln at temperatures ranging from 1400 to 1550 degrees, depending on the size of the piece and the type of glass used. At these temperatures the various layers of glass bond and become a single piece. Once heated, the glass must cool very slowly to room temperature to insure that it anneals properly. Each piece is then ground by hand to provide a distinct shape and fired again at a slightly lower temperature to fire-polish the edges. Some pieces require multiple sequences of heating and cooling as well as manipulation inside the kiln to achieve the desired effect. I augment my color palette by means of enamels and foils. I create a satin finish on some pieces by sandblasting the glass and re-firing at a lower temperature.

I have recently added lampwork jewelry to my portfolio. I create beads on an oxygen-propane torch using either Bullseye (COE 90) or Effetre, Vetrofond, Lausha, and other brands of soft (COE 104) glass rods. The beads are annealed in a kiln for strength after leaving the torch. Sometimes I create decorative elements on the torch to be used in my fused glass pieces.