From the earliest annals of history, the better idea, which evolved into the more affordable idea, has always been front and center in jewelry design. Whether it was the copies of Whitby jet Mourning jewelry in the glass known as French Jet or the wish to convey diamonds with Victorian paste, jewelry design has been at the forefront of innovation with crystal and glass as their medium of frequent choice. The mastery of crystal design and its hand cutting gave fame to the Czech, who crafted exquisite fakes.

It is difficult to believe that glass was actually discovered by accident by the ancients as they made pottery, which began in about 3500 B.C.. Although this earliest glass bore no resemblance to what we now recognize and call glass, it was a beginning. Their first beads were quite crude. The early technique of making glass took a major step forward during the Bronze Age, and then with the Mycenae and the Phoenicians (1500 B.C.). The result was the beginning of a clearer glass and one that could have color added to it. We really do find it difficult to believe that with the ample supply of precious metals and stones that were prevalent during Ancient times, there would have been any demand for glass jewelry, none-the-less it was a start. It was the “new” thing. News spread to Bohemia, Ancient China and even India about the advances in glass making being made by the Egyptians and Phoenicians, who were making lovely decorative and useful items, and yes, even beads.

The lampworking technique, which produced the first surface decorated beads, is attributed to advances in glass making that occurred during Medieval times. However, the most famous glass of modern times is that which was first created in Venice Italy in the 9th century known as Murano glass, which was and is hand blown and the cold carved glass created by the Czech. The Czech glass was carved after the glass bead had hardened. The cutting skill was similar to that of a diamond cutter and the result quite similar. In fact, it was the goal of the end product to simulate actual gemstones. As for the Italians, the artistry of Murano is legendary, most notably in the exquisiteness of the chandeliers and decorative items that they have been making for centuries. Murano glass beads are in class by themselves and each reflects the artistry of the glass blower, who hand works and adds color, form and detailing to each bead. The process involved in making Murano glass controls the exact coloration that is envisioned by the artisan. Slight variation occurs only because each one is hand made.

The next phase of glass’ evolution was in its layering to first create glass cameos with the depth of coloring and definition of detail required. The result of this can be seen in copies of the shell cameos that were popular during the Victorian era and that were a favorite souvenir of summer visits to Italy.

The next major innovation was thanks to NASA, which contributed the diachronic fusion technique, which allowed layers of different colored and textured glass to be fused together as one. The diachronic effect was the color change that could be caused by layering film made of metal oxides such as titanium, magnesium, copper and cobalt on a glass base. A myriad of different effects and colors could be achieved by using different types of base glass in the form of powders or flakes. Both bead makers and glass artisans, who create original artworks and objects in glass, use this technique. Some do create wearable art, which is truly spectacular.

The Achilles’ heel of glass is its fragile nature. If dropped on a hard surface, it will surely crack or even shatter. It is no doubt a logical assumption to consider the fact that much of the wonderful jewelry and artifacts that were made over time had a significant loss factor because of this. So, we must be thankful for the careful settings of Czech gemstone-like glass, the careful knotting of antique and vintage glass pearls and the sturdy framing of glass cameos which make them a joyful treasure, hopefully forever.

Marla Duckman
Old Soul Vintique Jewelry
http://www.RubyLane.com/shops/jewelrydiva