How to Fuse a Dichroic Glass Pendant
Whether you're just learning about fused glass or consider yourself a pro, create shimmering glass pendants by using dichroic glass. The most common types of glass are formed with sand or quartz, while dichroic glass also contains thin layers of metal oxides such as titanium, aluminum and magnesium. Dichroic glass has different transmitted and reflected colors, giving your jewelry a metallic sparkle and a depth of color. The Romans learned to produce dichroic glass by the fourth century C.E. The famous Roman Lycurgus Cup, which contains gold and silver particles, appears green in reflected light and red in transmitted light.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Cardstock/transfer paper
- Clear glass
- Dichroic glass
- Adhesive
- Safety glasses/gloves
- Scoring tool
- Glass breaker
- Diamond grinder
- Glass cleaner
- Kiln
- Bail
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1
Draw the shape of your pendant onto cardstock and cut out templates. Since you will need two templates in the same shape, you can trace around the first template or use transfer paper.
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2
Glue one template to each piece of glass.
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3
Score and break the glass around the template once the glue is dry.
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4
Grind the glass so the edges are smooth, making sure the clear piece will completely cover the dichroic piece.
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5
Clean both sides of each piece of glass with glass cleaner and place the clear glass on top of the dichroic glass.
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6
Heat the kiln (1475 to 1525 degrees F depending on your kiln) and hold the glass for at least 10 minutes or until the entire pendant reaches the same temperature; flash vent and anneal for at least 15 minutes. Flash venting cools the kiln quickly without damaging the glass: open the vent for about 8 seconds, dropping the temperature (1050 to 1100 degrees F). Annealing, the process of slowly cooling glass to relieve stress, is achieved with a constant, controlled decrease in temperature (usually not more than 200 degrees F per hour).
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1
Tips & Warnings
Adhere a bail to the back of the pendant using a strong glue. Roughen the bail and the glass with a grinder before you glue them together to create a stronger bond between the bail and the glass.
Use colored glass instead of clear glass to add dimension.
Make sure the pieces of glass have the same COE (Coefficient of Expansion) or the glass will crack when you cool it.
Wear safety equipment: glasses when scoring, breaking and grinding glass or looking into the kiln, and gloves when handling hot items.
Do not remove the glass from the kiln until it has reached room temperature, as sudden changes in temperature weaken the glass and may cause it to break.
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