IMHO - I like the Devardi glass, a lot. I've already picked out a few of the colors which I love, and will definitely want to order more of. But more time and a whole lot of experimentation is needed when it comes to mixing them with other 104 lines, I think. I see good results with the leaded surface applied frits, and silvered ivory stringer (Effetre, Vetrofond) is looking good too.
So far, I've experimented with just a few of the colors and I've wrote down some notes for future reference. I am proceeding with caution, because I have a very large customer base and like all the rest of you, still can't afford to have disasters down the road with cracked beads and very upset customers.
I've read through both threads and yes, there is a lot of negativity. This is not good for their business, but then again, there are more positive points being made. The colors are gorgeous, lower cost of the glass, excellent customer service, and the Devardi company is working to improve their products. I'm hoping the negativity in these threads helps the company a lot more than it hurts them.
Improving the glass in all ways necessary involves many things - it's workability in the flame, annealing temps, batch-to-batch color consistency, and compatability. That is going to take time, and you know, it will cost. So, down the road, look for a much better Devardi product line, and of course, you know something else....the cost WILL go up, and rightfully so. Ask the folks at BE and Uroboros about their continous product compatability testing. They gotta pay people to do that work.
Better product? Gonna be more money! I wouldn't have a problem with that at all.
