Frequently Asked Questions:

  • What kind of a torch do you use?
  • How do you ship the pieces?

What kind of glass do you use?
I use borosilicate glass, COE 33, which is used by scientific glass blowers.  One of the manufacturers of borosilicate glass is Corning, also known for making Pyrex glass commonly used in kitchens.


What is "dichroic" glass?
The sparkles or "shiny stuff" that you see in many glass pieces is called dichroic glass or dichro for short.  The word breaks down to mean "di"-two and "chroic"-colors.  The shiny sparkles are not actually glass, but bits of metal attached to and then encased by glass.
Dichro is created by sealing glass in a vacuum chamber and coating a surface of the glass with multiple layers of metallic oxide.  Dichro was originally developed by the aerospace industry, NASA, in the 1960's and used for its ability to reflect and filter (transmit) light.  The color you see in the pendants is the color created by reflected light because the pendants are backed with a dark color.  The color would be completely different if you looked at a piece of clear dichro where the light was allowed to transmit through it.  Among other applications, it was used to tint windows of aeronautic vehicles.  Today dichroic glass is used by scientific and artistic glassblowers and torchworkers as well as fused glass artists.
Sources:   Townsend, Milon. Advanced Flameworking - vol. 1. Hilton: Blue Moon Press, 2001, 141.
Dichroic Alchemy - http://www.dichroicalchemy.com
Coatings by Sandberg - http://www.cbs-dichroic.com
NASA - http://nasa.gov
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Who is the artist?
Jacqueline McKinny grew up in Niwot, Colorado.  After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2001 she began her career in glass.  To view more information and her portfolio please visit www.rowansgallery.com. 
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What are the winestopper bases made of?
At Rowan Tree Studios the artist uses two different types of bases for the winestoppers.  The cone shaped bases are nickel plated (these are mostly used for the disc winestoppers).  The nickel plated bases should be used for short term storage and display only.  Long term use will cause the nickel plating to oxidize and pit.
The teardrop shaped bases (used mainly for the marble winestoppers) are stainless steel and can be used for short or long term storage as well as display.

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What kind of a torch do you use?

How do you ship the pieces?



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