Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Unresolved Glass Queries => Topic started by: Nancy128 on December 20, 2005, 06:23:35 PM
-
Holiday Greetings everyone. I'm on holiday for the next few weeks so I thought I would start up a topic on the difference between colored cut to clear (color in two or more planes) and rainbow glass (two or more colors on one plane). Theory is that the control of the colors in one plane could not be perfected in order to produce the desired effect for mass production-----thus a limited number of rainbow glass pieces. However, the rainbow glass that was produced was highly cut and highly polished so they would show brilliantly. Anyone who has examples of rainbow glass versus the colored cut to clear would be helpful since I only have colored cut to clear peices.
-
Hi Nancy
Good to see you posting again.
I am not familiar with the term "rainbow" glass. Could you give a written reference of this term ? Despite your explanation I'm still confused as to what it might be.
While googling I found this brief synopsis of a forthcomming exhibition at Corning entitled
Splitting the Rainbow, Cut Glass in Color
http://www.cmog.org/index.asp?pageId=1057.
The fabulous item shown doesn't seem to fit your description being only one color + clear.
-
Well, I wish I could give you an explanation of what rainbow glass is, but I don't have too much information on it, (and that's why I thought I would start up a discussion on this type of glassmaking since all the top experts in the world are members of this great site :lol: ) but seriously, my take on it is when the glass is in that molten stage the glassmaker some how puts different chemicals in the glass which makes it appear, when cooled, to have all the brilliant colors of the rainbow. Here is the only example of rainbow glass that I could find to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5063777576&category=10967
Even though these are earrings, imagine what a vase would look like. So with colored cut to clear, the glass maker actually has two different layers of glass, but with rainbow its produced with only one layer. I hope I haven't confused you more I'm into my cocktail hour!! 8)
-
Hi Nancy
The example you show of ear rings are they not just crystal cut like a
diamond and as the facets catch the light and bend, it this breaks the light spectrum giving a rainbow effect , just like a real rainbow after a shower of rain.
Just another thought there is a glass called Rainbow glass, this is made in WV I have a photo of a small jug with label I will look for it and post a link.
I may be way off track here with both of my comments!!
PS. Hope I will be forgiven for an off topic note, is there any chance of some photos of your light table ( if I have the right Nancy )
Tony H in NZ
Edit note
I have added two photos in a new album Rainbow Glass.
Tony H in NZ.
-
Not sure I get the grasp of this. It seems you are describing paste (also knowns as strass, or Swarowski, or rhinestone, or costume jewellery) and your link points at a pair of paste eardrops.
I do not think there is a relation to Rainbow Art Glass Co. , a glass maker which operated from 1942 until it was engulfed by Viking in 1972. Although - they are reported to have made cased glass as well.
looking forward to seeing examples.
-
Nancy I don't think there is any such "type" of glass - the example you give is an example of "marketing- speak" to put it kindly. 3 colors is hardly a rainbow.
All cut crystal will, I believe, to varying degrees, give rainbow effects, when the light is caught right. I even have a pressed / molded vase with faux "cuts" which does it !
-
Peter is correct in that glass just by its very nature will reflect light. Add cutting or molded planes and it will break up the light into a spectrum of colors. A prism after all is nothing more than a triangle of glass that breaks the light.
What I am seeing here in the earrings however appears to be glass of various colors either cut or molded into the final shape. That would be easy enough to do when gathering the hot glass, clear, pick up some other colors and proceed. We have all seen multi colored items. As to a type of glass called "Rainbow" I have never run across the term except as Tony points out the Rainbow glass company. Also the term is used for multicolored Mother of Pearl satin glass. Its called Rainbow Mother of Pearl. Again multiple colors are gathered and the object is then made.
Maybe some of our experts who actually make glass can help on this one. Terry
-
PS. Hope I will be forgiven for an off topic note, is there any chance of some photos of your light table ( if I have the right Nancy )
.
Ooooohhhh Nancy with the light table... well-spotted Tony :)
Nancy, if you no longer have the photos can I please post copies of yours that I squirrelled away on my hard-drive in case they were ever useful? If it's OK with you I'll add them to GlassGallery for others to see. Pretty please and thank you. :)
-
I will take photos of the box and post them for you all. I really didn't think that my box would be so popular and I'm very flattered. It's nice to be wanted. Thanks.
As for the rainbow glass, I'm really stumped, because I thought it was a glass that was made, cut and polished. I guess I will have to do some more research with photos. The earrings was just an example of the color effect I wanted to show. Not necessarily the product itself.
Nancy
-
Hi Nancy128,
Does this have anything to do with what you are asking about?
http://www.hangingloose.com/rainbowglass/
Mike
-
Mike, sorry that you're confused. About 10 month ago I had a topic on this light box. When I posted a topic "Rainbow Glass" a few days ago some of the members remembered my light box and wanted to see the pictures of the box again. Thus the topic of "Light Box".
But if you can tell me who might of made this vase, please do. I thought it was American Brilliant, but some people I know thought it could be Baccarat. The stopper and the decanter have the same identifying numbers on it so I know that they are married. The pattern has me stumped, I can't seem to identify it even though its a simple cut.
-
Ooops, I thought I was talking on the "light box" thread when I mentioned my vase. To answer your question Mike, no this is not what I'm talking about. This is old glass, maybe around 1900-1920's.
-
Are you referring to something like this?
http://www.vaselineglass.org/rainbowvase.jpg
Other than the green 'drizzle' that runs the length of the vase, the underlying layer is multi-colored, all on the same plane.
This is art glass from England, and from what I was told, extremely rare and expensive.
Dave
-
Yes Dave, this is what I'm talking about except that it's wheeled-cut and hand polished.
-
I am not aware of any wheel cut and then polished, but at least we got past the 'what are you talking about?' part!
Dave
-
Thanks Dave for all your help. If I ever come across a picture of what I'm talking about, I'll make sure and post it.