Striking...what does it mean?

angie · #1 2007-01-14, 6:27am

Ive heard people mention that they have "striked"

what does this mean?
i have heard of striking colours but thats about it

Anne Londez · #2 2007-01-14, 9:22am

Striking colors are glasses that can be 2 different colors. It has to do with the orientation of the molecules inside the glass, which will change from one state to another on being cooled and re-heated. Transparent reds, oranges and yellows and most opaque pinks for example are striking colors. Usually you strike colors at the last step after shaping a bead, by letting the glass cool and reheating it quickly in the flame so that it takes the shade you want it to be.

Cosmo · #3 2007-01-14, 9:36am

There are a couple different types of striking glass out there. Some, like rubino, yellow, orange, and red change color when heated. Usually they are one color in rod form, and when they get in the flame they change to their actual color.

Some of the silver-based glass colors require a little more work. You have to heat them up to a certain temperature, then let them cool down, then heat them again to make the silver crystals grow. That's a pretty simplistic definition, though. Often times there is a little more to it than that.

angie · #4 2007-01-14, 10:28am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anne Londez

Striking colors are glasses that can be 2 different colors. It has to do with the orientation of the molecules inside the glass, which will change from one state to another on being cooled and re-heated. Transparent reds, oranges and yellows and most opaque pinks for example are striking colors. Usually you strike colors at the last step after shaping a bead, by letting the glass cool and reheating it quickly in the flame so that it takes the shade you want it to be.

Ok so when you say" reheat it quickly" do you mean in hot flame or cool ?

Anne Londez · #5 2007-01-14, 10:41am

Quote:

Originally Posted by angie

Ok so when you say" reheat it quickly" do you mean in hot flame or cool ?

I mean in the back of the flame so that it doesn't overheat or you lose the color again. The bead should not be molten. You should be able to see the color develop on the bead.