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Dichroic Glass Jewelry Process

By: Brent Moody

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What's Dichroic Glass Jewelry?

Dichroic glass jewelry, occasionally called art glass jewelry, is jewelry which has been made by adding multiple micro-layers with metal oxides that provides the glass dichroic optical properties. Dichroic matter distributes visible light to be split up into distinct beams of color.

Where Did It Come From?

The history associated with dichroic glass goes back to the 50's and 60's when NASA, defense contractors and also the Department of Defense created this high-tech material meant for implemention as optical filters, being a shield against cosmic radiation and many other uses. For example, the golden sheen on an astronaut's head shield is a dichroic coating meant to shield against the harsh glare of organic and obviously unfiltered natural light.

Increasingly Popular

With the beautiful colours and texture of Dichroic glass jewelry, it is no wonder why this item is becoming much more popular. Some dichroic glass jewelry products that you are able to purchase include: dichroic glass pendants, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, home décor, belt buckles, key rings, hair accessories, and more!

Manufacturing Process

The process of manufacuring dichroic glass requires complex procedures which has been mastered by only a handful of manufacturers. The minimal supply is partially due to the necessity for very high-tech machines. Dichroic glass is produced by cautiously heating different metallic oxides in a vacuum chamber to very high temperatures, getting a high-voltage electron beam, until they are vaporized and deposited onto the surface of the glass. Time and temperature are used to control the thickness of the oxide on the glass. As stated above, the complete process may require from 15 to 50 distinct layers of alternating metallic and silicon oxides.

The metallic oxides don't have any intrinsic colour themselves, instead it is the physical attributes of the metallic oxides within the dichroic glass that bring about different wavelengths of lighting to either reflect or transmit some wavelengths more than others. These attributes cause many kinds of lighting to travel through the glass along somewhat different paths triggering the color shift we observe. Most dichroic glass uses both transmission and reflection of light to attain the ideal result so that as people rotate a piece of dichroic glass, even slightly, you'll notice a shifting rainbow of colours.

The type of oxide, like titanium or magnesium, the number of oxides used, the order and number of layers, and the pattern is likely to define the final effect. With so many variables, dichroic glass presents an incredibly wealthy and diverse palette of colors and patterns for glass artists to work with.

The firing process, which is sometimes repeated several times, is the key phase of making the item and dichroic glass manufacturer's do this with great care to ensure power and durability for every item. Each piece will last a lifetime, provided it is not overly abused.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Beyond Beadz specializes in producing and manufacturing Dichroic glass jewelry such as dichroic glass pendants, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, home decor, and more.

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