Common Glass Terms

Band-Aid® - our best friend and favorite brand of bandage.

Cathedral – transparent colored glass.

C.O.E. (Coefficient of Expansion) – the rate at which glass expands or contracts when heated or cooled. Glass pieces must have compatible C.O.E. to fuse together.

Confetti – irregularly shaped, small shards used as decorative elements. Other elements include Fritt (crushed glass), and Noodles, Rods, and Stringers, which are shaped just like they sound.

Dichroic – glass with a chemically treated surface that reflects one color while it transmits another.

Frit – glass that is manufactured into small granulated pieces. There are four sizes available: fine, medium, course, and extra large.

Iridized – glass whose surface is chemically treated to have a rainbow appearance.

Powder – glass that comes as very fine powder.

Streaky – colored glass with one or more swirled, contrasting colors added to resemble wispy clouds.

Opalescent – translucent or milky glass