Glass!

Think positive thoughts! Get that good energy flowing!

FLOWING is the key word when it describes glass.

Glass has been around since the beginning of time.

In Ancient times people found two forms of natural glass. When lightning strikes sand, the heat sometimes fuses the sand into long, slender glass tubes called fulgurites, which are commonly called petrified lightning. The terrific heat of a volcanic eruption also sometimes fuses rocks and sand into a glass called obsidian. In early times, people shaped obsidian into knives, arrowheads, jewelry, and money. It is unknown exactly when, where, or how people first learned to make glass. It is generally believed that the first manufactured glass was in the form of a glaze on ceramic vessels, about 3000 B.C. The first glass vessels were produced about 1500 B.C. in Egypt and Mesopotamia. The glass industry was extremely successful for the next 300 years, and then declined. It was revived in Mesopotamia in the 700's B.C. and in Egypt in the 500's B.C. For the next 500 years, Egypt, Syria, and the other countries along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea were glassmaking centers.

Ancient Rome - traders of glass traveled the dirt roads from settlement to settlement. "Roman Glass" is now sold in, sometimes, very expensive gold or sterling silver settings. No one truly knows whether this kind of glass was really made by Romans - according to what I've read, it has more to do with the method of melting and pouring the glass. If "Roman Glass" jewelry were actually made by Romans it would be an antiquity, and most would not be able to afford to buy it.

Today, Glass has been refined,. Methods of making glass have been perfected.

Beach Glass - another type of glass which is used in jewelry. Drill it, and it becomes the focal point in earrings or necklaces. This kind of glass can be found on most beaches, the water and sand capture, tumble, soften edges, of broken pieces of glass. Sometimes it take a very long time to find that softly etched, perfect piece of Beach Glass, The quick method of getting a similar look is to use a diamond burr to soften the edges and then etch the glass using a mordant available at most craft stores.

Fused Glass - also used in jewelry requires one to take small pieces of glass, stack it up like a sandwich - heat in a kiln until it becomes molten. This kind of glass is fun.

Blown Glass - this type of glass fascinates me, you blow though a long tube after getting the glass at the end of the tube hot enough for it to flow. Beautiful pieces of art are made by this method.
We currently carry a nice variety of examples at Eye Candy Gallery.