Glass Art Makes a Beautiful Gift

Need to buy a gift for someone who has everything? The holiday season will be here before you know it. Better start thinking about gifts. Why don't you take a look at glass art? It comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors and it's made into an extraordinary number of unique objects. Glass art is made in a variety of ways which I'm sure you've heard, but, like me, may not understand.

There is fused and fired glass, stained and blown glass; and what the heck is dichroic glass art? Let me tell you.

Without getting too technical, Dichroic is defined as the property of having more than one color. It is a coating that consists of materials that are either all clear, or black and has no color. All of the light energy in this type of glass is either transmitted or reflected, as opposed to most colored glass where the light energy hitting the surface enters the glass and part of the color spectrum is absorbed. Dichroic glass has the unusual property of reflecting one color while it transmits another. When glass is coated with the dichroic material you see a variety of different colors as you rotate it.

If you design with glass pieces, this glass is relatively easy to work with. For those just looking to buy, it has brilliancy, and because the colors change as they are moved in the light, a special beauty. Look for jewelry made with this glass as it has become very popular for use in pendants and earrings.

I am amazed at the many beautiful pieces made with blown glass. I love the colors and shapes used to make bowls, stemware, decanters, perfume bottles, candle holders, paperweights, and ornaments, to name a few. Any of these would be an excellent gift. Blown glass is made while the glass is in a molten, semi-liquid state. The blown glass process entails forming wonderful, creative pieces while the glass is in a molten, semi-liquid state.

Glass fusing is the process of using a kiln to join pieces of glass together. When heat is applied to glass, it softens. As it gets hotter, the glass will become more fluid. Two or more pieces of glass will stick, or fuse, to each other. When the glass is fused correctly, it will be solid and unbroken. Gifts could include bowls, vases, pottery, glasses, and plates of all shapes and sizes; anything for home decor.

We are all familiar with stained glass, also known as art glass. It is often used in the making of windows and lampshades, but is also useful for boxes, clocks, cabinet doors, and picture frames. Stained glass is a term that generally refers to glass that has been colored by adding metallic salts during its manufacture. Painted details and yellow stain are often used to enhance the design. The term is also applied to windows, in which all the colors have been painted onto the glass and then made stronger through heating in a furnace. Stained glass is beautiful, whether it's reflecting the sun streaming through a window, or used to create any number of art pieces.

So for those difficult to buy for friends and loved-ones, think about glass art. It makes a special gift for someone who has everything. You can surf the net for ideas and buy online, or go to the mall and buy there.