e36-172D Dichroic Butterfly

Size: 3.5 x 3.5 inches

Hand made, lamp worked glass butterfly. Butterfly has sheets of rainbow dichroic glass laced in the wings. In certain lights the dichroic glass on the wings sparkle. When displayed near in an area that receives sunlight or in a well lit room, the effects of the dichroic glass can be seen.

The Dichroic Glass is produced in big vacuum chambers. During the 2 hour coating process, the walls of the chamber have to withstand a 128 Ton Pressure. Six seperate computers are controlling the process. A 10,000 Volt Beam Gun Vaporates a mix of quartz and metal oxides ina cruzibel inside the vacuum camber. While certain gases are emitted into the chamber by layering 15-30 coats of this vapor onto the glass, the different colors are achieved. The outcome of these colors also depend on the time, they are exposed to the beam gun. After this process the vapors mixed with the gases attach onto the glass surface in form of crystal structure.