CLICK ON IMAGES FOR PRICES At first glance graal glass can appear uncomplicated. The intricacy of the graal technique often eludes the untrained eye. Each graal glass piece, with its elaborate decoration using up to 7 colours suspended in layers of crystal glass, can take more than 40 hours & a large team of craftsmen to complete.
Artistic sensitivity, intuition and skill are required throughout the long, complicated and risky process. Each stage of the heating and annealing (gradual cooling) cycle generates stress within the different layers of crystal glass and must be carefully controlled.
Making a graal glass vessel involves blowing a small, clear bubble of glass, often no bigger than an egg, and overlaying it with layers of hot coloured glass. This is known as a graal ‘blank’.
A few days later, when it has been annealed and cooled, the blank is either cut or engraved on a diamond lathe. This creates patterns and images similar to those in Cameo (where upper layers are cut away to create a relief design) but more colourful.
The blank is reheated, attached to the blowpipe and coated with more layers of clear crystal glass. At this moment the vessel is blown into its final enlarged size. Click to buy/make enquiries: http://www.chrisblade.com/enquiries Electronic payments secured through PayPal
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