The 14K gold filled and sterling silver wires frame this
lovely colorful piece of Dichroic glass that is about 1" by 1".
The finished pendant is about 2 3/4" high, including the bail by 1 5/8" wide.

THIS IS ME, JACK SPEAKING. HAVING A LITTLE INFORMATION ON LASERS, ELECTRON BEAMS AND VACUUM
CHAMBERS. I FOUND THIS ON THE WEB AND COMPARING IT WITH OTHERS, I FELT IT WAS THE BEST DISCRIPTION.

Many of my pieces are made with dichroic glass, a type of glass that has grown in popularity
dramatically." Here is a brief overview of what dichroic glass is and how it is made....
The word "dichroic" is derived from two Greek roots, "di" for two and "chroma" for color.
So "dichroic" literally means "two-colored", especially when viewed from different angles
or from transmitted to reflected light. This bi-colored effect is produced by a process called
"thin film physics". Thin-film physics also explains rainbows in soap bubbles, the swirling
colors in a thin layer of oil floating on water, and the vibrant iridescent reflections on a
dragonfly's wings. To make dichroic glass, metallic oxides (such as titanium, silicon, and
magnesium) are heated in a vacuum chamber to very high temperatures, using a high-voltage
electron beam, until they are vaporized and deposited onto the surface of glass. The thickness
of the oxide on the glass is determined by time and temperature.

Dichroic glass is a high-tech spin-off of the space industry. It was developed for the laser
industry but it has become one of the most popular materials used by glass artists today. The
brilliance of dichroic glass in natural light or sunlight is truly amazing. Pictures just do
not do justice to the depth and play of color. There are many challenges involved in using
dichroic glass to make art glass jewelry, not to mention cost. Once a raw sheet of dichroic
glass is fused, its characteristics will change yet again with the new colors shifting towards
the blue end of the spectrum. That is why I am often waiting impatiently for my kiln to cool
properly so that I may see how my pieces turned out. It is all too tempting to open the kiln
door too early to take a peak!!

WHEN FINISHED LOOKING, JUST CLOSE THE WINDOW.