A FABULOUS NEW COLOR : G-109 Chalcedony
In 1856, the Muranese glasshouse of Salviati resurrected the color Chalcedony (pronounced kal-sed-onie), first described in Antonio Neri’s treatise “L’Arte Vetraria” published in 1612. Chalcedony is a multicolored glass that Salviati presented at the famous London Exhibition of 1862 to widespread acclaim. It has pretty much been absent from the glass artists palette in recent times. Reichenbach’s Iris Orange R-108 is an anaemic shadow of what is possible.
Gaffer is proud to relaunch a full blown example of this color system with the usual high standards of perfect compatibility and freedom of stones and bubbles.
The color is built on a scarlet base, allowing a red transparency when blown thinly. Used in thicker quantities it can exhibit all the colors of the spectrum when subjected to different heat treatments. It is perfect for multicolored effects in beads. The color will luster a bright silver/gold under a mildly reducing flame For picking up from a hotbox, have the temperature at around 980oF.
Re the Chalcedony – it is a silver bearing glass and you do the same stuff as you would with what people call Raku from Reichenbach or the silver glasses from Double Helix. Get it very hot, allow to cool right down then heat it up gently and mildly reduce when at a dull red heat. The colours should “pop’ on cooling down again. If it mirrors then you haver over reduced.
The Chameleon is blue when cooled quickly and green when cooled slowly. In order to get the gren to come out heat the glass for a while just on the softening point. Be patient!
