Frequently Asked Questions...

What is dichroic glass?

Dichroic glass gets its beautiful iridescent surface coating through a patented process in which layers of quartz crystal and metal oxides are laid down and then vapourized with an electronic beam in an airless vacuum chamber. The resulting vapour rises and becomes attached to the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure, much the same way gemstones are formed in nature.

What does "dichroic" mean?

The word “dichroic” means two colours. On dichroic glass there is a transmitted colour and a completely different reflected colour. The colours shift when the glass is held at various angles to the light. Dichroic glass jewellery has vibrant and bright colours such as those seen in opals or peacock feathers.

How do you work with the glass?

At Gorgeous Glass, we assemble pieces of glass according to carefully-considered designs. We then heat the assembly in the kiln to create unique and unusual combinations of colours and shapes. Once fully fused in the kiln, each piece is carefully cut, ground, polished and re-fired to make every surface sparkle before being made into one-of-a-kind pieces that are dazzling to wear.

Do you make it yourselves?

Yes, all the fused-glass jewellery is made in our Canmore, Alberta studio. You can view examples or our work in our Art Glass Gallery.

What else do you make?

We make plates, coaster sets, Sushi sets, and bowls. To compliment our dichroic jewellery, we also work with Swarovski crystals and Murano glass beads. Finally, we sell crystal glass nail files that we import directly from Europe. Each of these is adorned with one of our handcrafted dichroic glass cabochons.

Where is your studio?

We are located in Canmore, Alberta, the gateway to the Canadian Rockies, right next to Banff National Park. From our studio window, we enjoy wonderful mountain views including the the much-photographed mountain range known as The Three Sisters. Locate us on a Map.