Glass has been around since the beginning of recorded history...sand and heat, in simple terms ,equals glass. But, until WWII , secret glass societies kept the workings to themselves. In fact, telling it's secrets meant death! Most people don't realize that the atomic bomb was advanced with the help of a "glass artist".
More recently, with the help of digitally controlled kilns, and predetermined compatible glasses ,advanced technology has made it possible for individuals to work glass, on a smaller scale,, without the need for secret societies
At Malabar Glass we use a lot of "Dichroic" glass. By definition dichroic means multi -colored...it it reflects one color, transmits another, and is a different color altogether on a 45 degree angle. The process of laying metal oxides on surfaces in a vacuum was first used by NASA outfitting spacecraft for the trip to Mars...metal, glass, no matter. It's manufacture requires a multi million dollar facility. How many people do you know who own a vacuum? I'm talking a building here...not a cleaning device. Hense, Dichrioc glass tends to be very expensive. Fortunately, a little bit of dicro goes a long way. With this in mind, we try to keep the prices at a realistic level so that virtually anyone can have a piece of the pie.
We have a very loyal customer base who tell their friends who tell their friends who... pretty soon it is just one big happy family. Works for me and I hope that it works for you!
Just because I am me, I am always looking for new ways to work in glass. Most recently I have incorporating glass with metal, welding to make screens, fountains, wall hanging, sinks, whatever! Please stay tuned to see examples of the latest projects....
Thank you all for your continued interest and support......syd