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Jewels Made of Glass

by Sunseria Morgan, Jewelry Curator, rubylane.com

he art of Czech glass production dates back centuries and is across an orange summer sunset. Or like blue flames passing over the
deeply rooted in the country’s cultural traditions. The land glowing embers of a dying fire. The glass certainly has a magical quality
Tin and around the Czech Republic provides an abundance of that is exciting to see and wear and will be sure to catch the eye of every-
natural resources and raw materials needed to make exceptional quality one in the room.
glass. Glass produced in the region is well known for its strength,
artistry, and innovative designs. What began as a small cottage industry My personal favorite,
has become a global exporter of some of the world’s finest glass. Czech Saphiret Glass, was produced
glass products can be found in just about everything, from a simple by blending melted gold into
button to an extravagant chandelier and so much more! Glass jewelry sapphire-colored glass. The
and glass beads have a special and important place in Czech glass history. process results in a remarkable
effect similar to the lustrous
Iris Glass was made during the sheen of a fine natural moon-
early 1900s by adding three colored stone. The glass appears pale
sections to crystal clear glass. Iris Glass reddish brown on the
was designed to mimic the internal surface with an inner blue glow
spectral colors sometimes seen in that rolls and moves across the
natural clear quartz when white light top of the glass. The glass almost
is dispersed by a fracture or plain seems to be lit from within, and
within the crystal structure. Antique even shines brightly in dim
Iris Glass colors are usually soft pale candlelight or under the stars on Antique Saphiret Brooch
pastel tones of green, red, and blue. a full moon night.
Vintage Iris Glass typically shows Saphiret glass is often seen in a dome or cabochon cut and beads
stronger and bolder stripes of color. with a frosted or matte finish that I believe best displays the glowing
Vintage Iris Glass It’s like a tiny rainbow in each stone! color-changing quality. You will also find Saphiret Glass in gorgeous
faceted cuts, typically oval or round.

Resembling the feathers of a Attempting to recreate the beauty of nature is never easy. It’s hard
peacock, Peacock Eye Glass is to imagine the experimentation involved, and the trial and error the
commonly found in beaded jewelry glass artists endured to achieve these beautiful and consistent results,
and cabochon cuts in various shapes but we are glad they did!
and sizes. The handmade lampwork While the skilled Czech craftspeople may have originally sought to
beads are carefully crafted by wrap- imitate some natural gems, the art glass they manufactured is undeni-
ping molten glass around a metal ably a treasured gem in its own right.
rod over the flame of a torch. The The exact recipes and techniques for some of these Czech glass
glass artisans used vibrant green creations are sadly now lost to
glass layered over foil, with a cobalt time. While there are modern
blue dot in the center that creates imitations, the glass has never
the look of a shimmering iridescent Vintage Peacock Eye quite been duplicated.
Glass Brooch
peacock feather. Czech glass is often not set in
gold or platinum – you typically
find it in sterling silver settings or
Dragon’s Breath, or Dragon’s in costume jewelry, making it
Breath Opal as it is sometimes called, fairly affordable for any collector
is not an opal at all and is another to obtain.
marvel of Czech glass ingenuity. First The spectacular effects of
manufactured in the early 1900s, these exceptional glass stones can
dragon’s breath was made by adding be difficult to capture in an
metal to molten glass. From some image, and one must see it in per-
angles, the glass looks similar to son to truly appreciate its beauty! Czech glass stones
amber. However, when viewed from There are so many more types set in Sterling
the right direction or when the glass is of Czech glass to explore. The
moved back and forth it comes alive! journey does not end here!
Art Deco Sterling Silver Electric blue and purple flashes appear View more vintage and antique Czech glass on RubyLane.com
Dragons Breath Ring inside the glass, like lightning striking

16 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles