What coe is this glass?

fcfmountain · #1 2013-08-20, 6:00pm

I've got a pound of glass I'm not sure how I aquired it. It is labled 591226 Alexandrite. It color shifts from pale grey in fluorescent light to a pretty lavender purple in incandescent and daylight. My problem is it refuses to 'play pretty with 104.' Anyone ever hear of this glass or know anything about it?

Eileen · #2 2013-08-20, 6:33pm

That is Effetre, and should be compatible.
What else was in your bead?

flaming_fools · #3 2013-08-20, 8:14pm

We use it quite often (and sometimes forget about the color shifting) Just the other day was looking for a purplish bead we had photographed, and realiZed under the CFG light on my desk it was now blue.

And have had NO problems using it with any other Effetre, Kugler or Double Helix glasses.

jaci · #4 2013-08-20, 8:19pm

Was that the one they used to call 'lavender blue rose' ?
Lovely color! Effetre 104. Not sure about compatibility issues. What are you doing with it. I know I have a rose quartz color that is the same way! Batch issue maybe...

fcfmountain · #5 2013-08-21, 5:13pm

I found someone listing Alexandrite with another stock # from Effetre and thought mine might be a 96 derivitive color. Or maybe it's just this batch is so badly out of coe range. Trust me, it's so darn pretty that I've tried lots of colors with it. Crackety,crack crack.
Thanks for the thoughts on this. Any one else got some lead or info?
Do you suppose it needs a higher annealing temp like some of the CIM colors? Like Chalcedony,Halong Bay, Crocus, Plum,Marshmallow,Cirrus and maybe Kryptonite unique#2. I think your Rose Quartz is in there also, plus Peacock, French Blue,Leaky Pen and Bordello. Needing to be bumped up a bit higher is Ginger,Celadon and Butter Pecan. I think I just solved the mystery of why I have a can full of beads split neatly in half!

jaci · #6 2013-08-23, 5:39am

Bead cracking is like a cim hangover with that list!!!

I didn't realize so many of the cim colors were finikey.

marla0416 · #7 2013-08-23, 5:53am

I just started buying some CIM. Didn't know it was so finicky.

SuzyQ · #8 2013-08-23, 6:12am

Interesting. I don't have issues with those CIM colors.

Sheila D. · #9 2013-08-23, 7:36am

I never have issues with the CIM colors. What annealing temp are you using?

fcfmountain · #10 2013-08-23, 4:51pm

I'm annealing at 965 hour and a half, garaging at 950. I'm thinking about bumping it up some.
I just dug out a chart from CIM on their annealing recommendations for certain colors 2007 (colors like I listed, translucent milkey, though some on my list hadn't been invented yet) and they range from annealing 980-1070!
Where could I go to find a cross reference on this Alexandrite stock number?

Eileen · #11 2013-08-23, 5:06pm

I'm not sure what you mean by a cross reference, but I just googled "Effetre 591226" and got several hits.

Sheila D. · #12 2013-08-23, 5:27pm

I must be weird

but I never change the temp on my kiln. I keep mine at 930 for everything. If you are making multiple beads with several different glasses what temp do you choose. Sounds way too confusing for me!

jaci · #13 2013-08-23, 10:13pm

You are not weird at all. Every ones kiln runs a bit differently. I keep mine at 910. But I know it runs a bit hotter than that.... That being said, as long as you are above the strain poin and below the slumping point you are good. The lower the temp, I've read some as low as 850, the longer you hold that before ramping. The higher the temp, as high as 968 I think I remember, the shorter hold time is sufficient. (This is also contingent on the size of your beads to some extent) and I'm probably over simplifying and paraphrasing just to point out differences)

All this 'this glass likes this and that' stuff is a relatively new stride (a few years vs decades) within a Coe. I'm not sure wether it was just not tolerated or was not an issue, or wether testers just deemed finikey glass not to spec, or what... But it almost ses as though the difficulty has been marketed as a special glass trait that will cost you more, cuz it's just that special, and you are privileged to experience it. Lol.

Ravenesque · #14 2013-08-24, 12:12am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheila D.

I must be weird

but I never change the temp on my kiln. I keep mine at 930 for everything. If you are making multiple beads with several different glasses what temp do you choose. Sounds way too confusing for me!

Same, and never had probs with CIM. Even back before I had a kiln and cooled in fiber blanket. Almost every one mentioned above is an opal (opalino) glass (except french blue, leaky, bordello, ginger, celedon, butter pecan), that's why people have problems imo, you can't mix most of the time with 'regular' glass. Try a test bead before you make a big one or a set. Some work together, some don't. Some artists 'sandwich' clear when encasing it. I see this all the time here and it was pounded into our heads with Italian glass back in the day

As for Alexandrite, not sure why it's cracking? Have you tested your kiln temp? If you're having problems with all the other glasses also, it may be that?

Anne Londez · #15 2013-08-24, 5:50am

Effetre gives their annealing temp at 470°C/870F in their catalog.

Have you tried the stringer test with your Alexandrite ? It might at least help you know exactly which colors it is compatible with.

fcfmountain · #16 2013-08-24, 11:55am

I'll try googling a number(wouldn't have thunk of it) preceeded by Effetre of course. I'll also try the stringer test and see what info I can get from that. It would be a shame to banish such a pretty color onto the topmost shelf for some future archeologist to discover.

Damselfly · #17 2013-08-24, 1:48pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by fcfmountain

I'm annealing at 965 hour and a half, garaging at 950.

What's the rest of your schedule? Maybe the ramp down is the problem.