Heritage Designs Glass Works

What is Dichroic Glass?

Dichroic Glass is glass containing multiple micro-layers of metal oxides which give the glass dichroic optical properties. Dichroic glass was originally developed by NASA and its contractors for use in satellite optics and spacesuit visors.

Multiple ultra-thin layers of different metal oxides (gold, silver, titanium, chromium, aluminum, zirconium, magnesium, silicon) are vaporized by an electron beam in a vacuum chamber. The vapor then condenses on the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure. This is sometimes followed by a protective layer of quartz crystal. The finished glass can have as many as 30[2] to 50 layers of these materials yet the thickness of the total coating is approximately 30 to 35 millionths of an inch. The coating that is created is very similar to a gemstone and, by careful control of thickness, different colors are obtained.

Dichroic glass is extremely beautiful, however due to the multifaceted properties of the color, it is hard to photograph to it's full beauty.  Dichroic seems to come alive in sunlight.

Some of our pieces feature plant material that was fired in the kiln between layers of glass.  This gives the effect of an instant fossil or a ghost image of the plant.  Each one of these are one of a kind pieces