Menu
The Robert Held Art Glass Gallery in Parksville has now closed. If you need to contact us please phone or email. 
We extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our customers for their support over the past years.
We wish Robert a very happy retirement.

 
As Valentine's Day approaches, our thoughts turn to love and joy. At Robert Held Art Glass we are creating beautiful glass pieces for you to give or receive.

When you're in love your eyes sparkle and we've captured that essence in our special Hearts A'Fire pieces. The secret lies in the use of dichroic glass.

Derived from the Greek words "di" and "chroma", this term for glass refers to its ability to transmit one colour and reflect another. The 4th Century Lycurgus Cup, currently in the British Museum, is one of the earliest and most famous pieces of dichroic glass. Trace amounts of gold and silver incorporated into the molten glass changed its properties, resulting in different colours when viewed in different lights. The Cup is green when viewed with light in front and appears red-purple when lit from behind.

Modern dichroic glass is created using different oxides that are "vaporized" and adhere to glass. Multiple layers can be stacked together yet still remain very thing. NASA uses the process to create protective coatings on equipment, including astronaut face-plates, and block the spectrum of harmful light.

In glassblowing studios, dichroic glass in different colour combinations is popular. One colour is transmitted, the colour you see when looking through the glass; the second colour is evident when light is reflected off the glass.

Sean holding a piece of dichroic glassIn this photo, Sean is holding a piece of dichroic glass. The small strips on the marber are waiting to be incorporated into a heart. 

At Robert Held Art Glass, our Hearts A'Fire collection features swirls of red, clear and dichroic glass in each unique piece. Whether you choose the small Heartlet or a larger Dichro Heart, you'll be captivated by the sparkle. Once you hold a piece you won't wan to let it go! Treat all of the special people in your life with the gift of sparkle, and keep one for yourself. 

Go Back

Post a Comment