dichroic glass

Glass Touch
Fused Art Glass by Nicole Vachier Lozano

You may have noticed some of my pieces, specifically jewelry, contain dichroic glass as a design element. In

the

event you were wondering “what is dichroic glass” I thought I would give you a little background.

Dichroic glass is glass, typically clear or black, which has a thin film of quartz crystal and metal oxides

(e.g.

copper, silver, titanium, etc.) on its’ surface. To create this product metal oxides are heated in

a vacuum

chamber using a high voltage electron beam until they are vaporized and deposited on the surface

of the

glass. The

glass may be coated multiple times (e.g. 15-45). The thickness, not more then 35 millionth

of an

inch, contributes

to the beautiful colors we see. The coatings act as an optical filter which manipulates

light.

The colors we see are

generated when light strikes the glass and is reflected from it. You see the

transmitted

color when looking through

the piece and the reflected color when holding the piece at an angle.

Shifting a

piece even slightly changes the color

you see. This iridescent quality is very difficult to photograph

or explain.

To fully appreciate its’ beauty you have

to see it.

The name dichroic comes from the root words di for two and chroma meaning color, literally two-color.

What is dichroic glass?

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