Devardi Glass Technical Input and Experiences

[PaulaP]

Blong - I love the greens and the combinations of shapes you used.

[GlassGalore]

My order came on Thursday and as soon as I get the grocery shopping done, I'm heading to the torch for the day!

I'm still very 'shard challenged', but when I tried blowing with the Devardi glass it was very difficult because the glass is so stiff. It must be possible though because lots of blown glass is made of boro which is even stiffer... so PPP I guess!

Love seeing all the color experimentation being done here. Great info!

[glasslass2]

Anyone have pics of beads made with the new marbled glass or the dark rose aventurine rods? Still waiting for my glass, need more pics....

[Fine Folly Glassworks]

Originally Posted by GlassGalore

My order came on Thursday and as soon as I get the grocery shopping done, I'm heading to the torch for the day!

I'm still very 'shard challenged', but when I tried blowing with the Devardi glass it was very difficult because the glass is so stiff. It must be possible though because lots of blown glass is made of boro which is even stiffer... so PPP I guess!

Love seeing all the color experimentation being done here. Great info!

I know what you mean - I was able to make this blue hollow bead just winding from left to right with the Transparent Vibrant Blue. It's easy to over heat this blue and devitrify it (cause blisters). I think it may be one of the most beautiful blues I have seen.

I did a hollow bead in the Misty and it is really pretty. It would be nice with stringers melted around it too. It's a wonderful glass to work with, not shocky and very nice.

The Lipstick Pink is heavenly. I pulled stringers with it and used it as a tiny flower. It's a soft glass and a rich pink.

Let's keep posting what we find as we play with our new glass!

[SilverRiverJewelry]

There is a picture a couple of pages back of the butterscotch marble.

[Teri.p]

Krisitna - what a lovely hollow! I need to get pics of my Misty beads. I'm still testing it and I think it is going more opaque in the kiln.

[Rareripes]

Thanks,Paula and Holly!Too funny finding all those odd things under your bench..lol...I have a large 5 ft long desk height cabinet with a full top piece of heavy stainless steel that I found in my garage.I think Bob used to process deer on it but it fit perfectly on the cabinet.The base is solid so To get close to my torch,I have to open of the double door side and prop my feet in it.The other side of the cabinet has 3 long drawers for storage.Its just an old piece of dining room furniture and nothing can get lost under it,thank goodness but more that once I have been torching and I have felt this fuzzy thing brushing my legs and have been surprised to find my longhair orange tabby has gotten inside and was just sitting there.I've chased him out and one of my big fears is a hot piece of glass popping off and setting his fur on fire.I am missing 2 doors to close my studio off so I try to torch when I know he is napping somewhere else or on the back porch.My new studio is totally doored off specifically for that reason.
I have a new camera and know there is a way of getting crisp closeups like my old camera but I haven't found out with the new camera yet.I am not happy with my pics as to really see the beads..they are not in good focus.These 3 I made last night.
The very left is dk transparent rose which is much darker than it looks on the site.It looks like a deep transparent red..its not..I checked my order to see if I had made a mistake but i didn't.Its much darker than the dk rose lustre rod too.I used it for the left bead and just used a random raked OP light baby blue stringer which looks white on the bead.
The middle one is tan with craft copper foil burnished on it and then puntyied and swirled together with the butterscotch marbled indian glass with the foil and tan before pulling my stringer which looked lumpy grey.I then made a butterscotch marbled indian lg round,randomly wound with the stringer and then pressed flat.It started to thicken around the edges when I was heating the freeze lines off from pressing and has a concave spot in the middle However..the copper foil turned that pretty pale steel blue color and I love that combo with the marbled glass.The third is simply transparent forest green(it must have replaced the trans emerald green..have some of that and it looks pretty identical)and rolled in the green adventurine lustre frit.Again...they all look nicer than the pic.I may have to go back to that other camera to get better closeups.Yes..a light tent is in the future and also a light box witch I wonder if "Classy" Jack uses with his gorgeous beads.The light seems to be glowing from the inside of his beads.
Have a great weekend ,all!
♥

[baby firefly]

Diana, OMG....those are GREAT !!! You go girl... I wonder how your pictures would turn out if you took one picture of each bead. Sometimes when I try to take pictures of more than one, the camera gets confused, .... and it will sharply focus the center bead and the others will look fuzzy.

I absolutely LOVE the copper foil on the center bead.! I haven't officially unpacked my glass but I grabbed a rod of the dk rose today, and it looks just like all the other that I've gotten from the last 3 or 4 shipments, I'll have to check the website and see how it looks on there....

Thanks for posting, and don't feel bad about your concave spot. What do you use to press? I can see where that would happen using a parallel mashers. If you have 2 flat things....marvers, whatever, you can get rid of that spot by heating up the bead and pressing one side, then reheat, and press the other. It'll straighten that right out

[Rareripes]

Thanks Holly! Yeah..I used a parallel masher..your idea is great.I will try the marvers
Well..even the middle bead does not look quite the same and I used to have great closeups with the old camera.I'll try the one at a time too.All in all..I loved that cheap copper foil.I have the nice expensive gold and silver and heavy silver but this stuff is from Michaels craft store,almost 6 by 6 inch squares..25 sheets to a pack and cost about 8 dollars i think.Copper foil isn't easy to find and even if I could find the really good stuff will use my kind til its gone.I DO like the color change.
I hadn't been able to get the dark rose before..was sold out Next time will put it over a white core and see how it looks.Thought they sent me only trans cranberry but i did get that also and its a striking color and looks yellowy.
Have a good Sunday,all!
♥

[baby firefly]

I've been a busy girl !! Kat the next picture coming up is for you

I'm trying to conserve space here, so will show a couple close ups and the back side of one of the beads




The base of the 3rd bead is made with entirely indian marble butterscotch as a base, the top and bottom of the bead is trans ice blue, frit made by Drafly (I'm gonna single handedly force you out of retirement)
Other bases are combinations of tan and butterscotch (I'm low on butterscotch)...I love the bead with the transparent base, it's the yellow gold and it stays true to color. I used all sorts of the opaque purples and opaque med brown for the frits in the others, and of course all the silvered ivory stringer that I found under my workbench!!!

[Rareripes]

Wow,Holly..they are purty! You DO make beautiful Silver Stringer..love the color combos and I am really enjoying the marbled glass and tan and the butterscotch I have left from a previous order.Do you do scuptural stuff? If so then make some sandal beads or maybe Kristina can do that..you did say you found a sandal under your bench,right ?Lol..just read that thread about newbie mistakes..too funny and wondered if your other sandal died a horrible death on the floor from a flying piece of glass..That thread is hysterical lol.i should post my few disaster stories there but most of mine would be duplicates of others

[baby firefly]

Diana, thanks so much...I do a little bit of everything but find the big focals is what sells the best for me....that poor sandal "broke" and instead of throwing it away....the earring fell out one day when I was torching and I looked under there and thought NO WAY.....

But I will go dumpster diving when it comes to my silvered ivory stringer....glad you went and looked at that thread, I was laughing so hard I had tears squirting out of my eyes !!

[Fine Folly Glassworks]

Originally Posted by baby firefly

I've been a busy girl !!

Way to go girl! I am in love with this last one! Awesome

[baby firefly]

Thanks Kristina !! I'm working today too !! Keep going on those frogs and hollows girl, great job.....I had myself a big senior moment and forgot to post the bead I made using marble butterscotch and silver frit....I didn't have to use alot of frit to get some nice reaction going.....so here it is.


Sorry this last one is SOOOoooo out of focus but I wanted to try to show some of the detail even if it's a bit fuzzy. Around the pieces of silver frit I got a reaction that looks like FLOWERS....it is so cool, I wish I could've gotten a really good detailed shot of it.....STUPID CAMERA..! or stupid me ?

[Rareripes]

Holly..I DO see the flowers in that last bead..how neat it came uot that way.I am curious as to the one just under the one with Jims frit and the trans blue/aqua color.Whats in that next bead that had the very thick silver stringer? I love that one especially.Is that brown or an opaque burgundy on the right side of it?Your stringer looks like about an 18 guage of pure silver and mine looks like ivory with little specks of silver in it.Beautiful work and I do love all your focals..soo much potential with adding spacers or silver beads.I just got in an order of all kinds of copper beads and headpins and wrap from Fire Mountain...but am especially excited that Bob brought my HH torch back today.I had to rearrange my work area and will be using that coppery black in a bit tonight.I'm psyched!!
Your beads have definitely inspired me today
Keep sending pic,GF!
♥
This pic is just to show just some ofthe simple batches of spacers and odd beads I wanted to do to check how they work and change colors or what.These are all pretty true to color..its fun,fun,fun

[LaurieBSmith]

Someone kindly boil down this thread for me.

1. Is Devardi worth its price?
2. What colors cause problems?
3. Is it compatible with 104?
4. How is the clear?
5. Do you like, love and want some more of it?
6. Is it temperature sensitive? (Does it burn easily?)

1244 posts!

[baby firefly]

Diana, oh, that bead is gorgeous in person. Parts of it turned metallic, and there are places where I trapped adventurine frit between 2 transparents...it looks alot like one I posted back quite a few pages, but I think this one is better. Ok, the base is "stuff off the table....butterscotch, some grays...then the frits I used were, med brown, op burgandy( on the right side) and several different shades of amber transparents.

On the Silver ivory stringer, I switch between using leaf, and using foil. Depending on how the planets are aligned and how I'm holding my mouth....sometimes I really prefer the leaf. It does act different on different colors of glass, but I know I used silver leaf on that bead because Devardi hadn't started carrying their foil yet.

Don't you just love the transparent dark rose??? Your spacers turned out beautiful and that's the color I always get.

Now, can you answer a question for me GF....what color blue is that, in the lower left hand corner? Is it a ringer for moretti periwinkle blue?....and if anyone knows, if devardi has a periwinkle, could you give me a shout. PLEASE. I keep forgetting to ask Natasha about it.

[Fine Folly Glassworks]

Hi Laurie, I'll post my 2 cents, and trust that others will too... it may be more than you wanted to know with to many pictures, but it may also be helpful. I am on a Hothead with bulk propane and no bead kiln, I use the Japanese Annealing Bubbles.


1. Is Devardi worth its price?

The price is the most exceptional thing about this glass. It is affordable and has a great color selection. And the service we get from the owners is excellent and always polite.


2. What colors cause problems?

There are some colors that are very heat-sensitive, and if you over heat them they start to devitrify and change to a matt finish or blister - such as the salmon.

Unless you have the patience of Job to preheat slowly and high in the flame (to prevent shocking), you must preheat with a rod warmer and work most colors cooler than other glass brands. With a rod warmer it is no issue at all, just be sure to return your rod to the Warmer if you will use it again. I roll mine on a marver to reshape the tip for the next use and to cool it before returning it to the rod warmer.

Many of the colors are stiffer glass than effetre, so you must use tools for shaping or be VERY patient in cooler heat as you shape. The up side is that stiffer glass makes for marvelous sculptural capabilities.


3. Is it compatible with 104?

In my experience yes usually, but some don't play well together, like all glass brands. You must experiment before doing a big project. For example, I just used the Dk. Transparent Rose to encase the Semi Opaque Pink, and I got cracking. I don't know if it was the cooling in Annealing Bubbles or the glass didn't play well together. You must make samples to find out, and expect colors to change as they develop them too.


4. How is the clear?

Lovely and softer than effetre.


5. Do you like, love and want some more of it?

Yes and I would like a stick of each color just to make samples with and see what works well together. Some melt like butter after preheating, and some are stiff.


6. Is it temperature sensitive? (Does it burn easily?)

There are colors that will burn, and others that it is not an issue with. You should get a rod of each color you like, and maybe a box of samples and spend time pulling stringers and melting... but do invest in the Rod Warmer, and some colors need to go into a bead kiln, they get thermal cracks easily in Annealling Beads or Vermiculite, like the Light Transparent Green.

I have posted some bead pics below with comments. This is not effetre, and you cannot expect it to behave like effetre, but in my opinion, it is worth it if you want to learn to use it.

Enjoy!


PICTURE WITH COMMENTS:

This Light Transparent Green is SO lovely and nice to work with, but it would not cool without cracking in my Annealing Bubbles/Vermiculite as a 5/8" bead. However, a solid 1/2" bead I made with it DID cool without thermal cracking though, so go figure...


This is a new color - Misty - and it is a creamy misty beauty. I can't wait to work with it some more. This is a hollow bead I just made.


These bears are samples of my fun with the sculptural properties of this glass. The goldfish in the beads shows how it holds it's design shape under and on top of encasing.


I made this bracelet in different Devardi Transparents, with effetre lt. pink for dots, Devardi's Dk. Transparent Rose encasing the effetre Pink for rolled roses and Devardi's pea green for the leaves. Some of the transparents were so stiff I had to work them with a graphite rod and a bead roller, and some went into round easily. You have to experiment to find which way each color works.


This bracelet on the left is all Devardi except for the black spacer beads between the bead caps. Both bracelets have the wonderful Devardi Metallic Silver on them for dots and swirls. The one on the right was made of effetre light ivory and Devardi Butterscotch. The Butterscotch is a wonderful color, but will easily devitrify and turn matt. It made a pretty bead anyway in contrast to the slick effetre ivory. They are out of it right now, and it may be improved in the next batch, we will have to wait and see.


I could go on and on, but others surely have more to say and can add to this info, and if you have more questions please ask. We are a friendly group on this thread and try to help each other and share freely.

[Fine Folly Glassworks]

Originally Posted by baby firefly

Thanks Kristina !! I'm working today too !! .....I had myself a big senior moment and forgot to post the bead I made using marble butterscotch and silver frit....I didn't have to use alot of frit to get some nice reaction going.....so here it is.

Just gorgeous Holly. You are amazing with these focals. I want every other one to make a beadwork project with!

[baby firefly]

Kristina, can you see "the flowers" ???? Lol. I wish the pictures did the bead justice...
very cool reactions with very little of that silver frit.

Laurie, I'll stick my 2 cents in also and between Kristina and I that will make 4 cents.....
Is it worth the price.....without question. The transparent dark rose that Diana made beads out of speaks for itself at 5.99 a lb. There was just a huge thread on this forum about CIM cranberry cracking all over the place. That sells for 65.00 a lb from Howacoglass and Jamie has very reasonable prices. If I payed that for glass that cracked, I'd be barfing all the way to the bank....

Is it compatable with other 104....? yeah, if that 104 glass doesn't crack like the cranberry....lol. I've posted lumper focal beads throughout this thread. My beads average around 45 to 50 mm. ALL my beads go directly in the kiln and you have to when you're dealing with beads that size. Kristina I truly believe is having issues because of not having a kiln. I've run into a few compatability issues here and there. When I have a problem, I notify the company. This glass gets better and better with each shipment because they listen to my concerns and have the adjustments made to correct the problems. If you ever run into a glass company that doesn't have "issues" please pm me, because to date, I've not found any glass from any line, that doesn't.
Not only is the glass fairly compatable with 104 coe's but I've used 96 frits to the point that I'm "daring" the bead to crack. I love the vibrant 96 coe furnace glass frits and I DON'T use them sparingly.

I run 2 torches inline on bulk propane and some colors work great for me, and some don't. I have problems with butterscotch and salmon, I still use these colors ALOT and they have their place in my work. I use both for beads where I'm shooting for a more organic look. Most of the colors are to die for. I've NEVER found decent earth tone colors, or dark transparent purple from any other line of glass that are as nice as these.

on the clear, I'm sure at some point Silver River Jewelry will chime in....she loves the clear and it's been the ONLY clear, she has found that works for her. I encase with moretti, and while many people don't like it....it works for me, plus I'm sitting on alot of it.

I had my first year anniversary torching on March 15th.....I bit over a year. I've worked with this glass exclusively for 10 months now and can say....it does nothing but get better with every shipment.....I will always want to order more !!

[Rareripes]

Holly,I used that rod from my box of factory lots ond odds.I just received 4 different opaque lilacs and lt and dark purples that I just made 4 spacers with to see if I can pinpoint that color.Whatever it is,I did notice that the spacers which I did on the winding mandrel,had multiple shades and some darker lines in them.Thats fine with me,and actually I like that..I did about 40 of them.I have a feeling it is Opaque lilac...but we'll see in a little bit
Sorry I don't have a direct answer.When I find out will post it.
Laurie..I have to ditto all that Kristina and Holly said.I have been working with this glass since Winter..and although I will pick up some other special rods from another company occasionally..Devardi is definitely my preference.
Yes,Houkje will chime in and she makes the most lovely beads with devardi glass.
♥

[SilverRiverJewelry]

1. Is Devardi worth its price? Beyond a shadow of a doubt. I love this glass and the colors are stunning. They hold their color also, very intense.

2. What colors cause problems? Depends on whose using them. Seriously, we all work a little differently. I have issues with one of the pinks and the topaz colored transparents are just frit for me no matter what I do. I know people who can't use the salmon because it shatters for them but I have used it over and over with not a bit of problem. Pre heating is definitely a must and I while I use the top of my kiln, I will be getting a rod warmer as soon as I can.

3. Is it compatible with 104? I haven't had any problems with it and regularly use the clear from devardi to encase other 104 glass

4. How is the clear? I was unable to use the morretti clear or the lauscha without scumming or cracking issues. The Devardi clear goes on very clear for me 99.9% of the time, and no cracking either. Can't beat that for $6 a pound

5. Do you like, love and want some more of it? I think I now own most of the colors and yes, I will be buying more

6. Is it temperature sensitive? (Does it burn easily?) The light blue frit and the butterscotch tend to fry a bit if you aren't careful but other than that I don't have any problems with it, and in fact, find that most of it can be worked quite a long time in the flame before having any issues.

[baby firefly]

Sonja, thanks for number 6...duh. I forgot to mention, those big beads of mine don't make themselves quickly, I do work my glass in the flame for long periods of time and with the exception of the butterscotch and salmon......my color and shine stays great.

[Fine Folly Glassworks]

To all of us who work without a bead kiln, I wanted to tell you of my latest revelation and joy. I have started making hollow beads and I find I can make them as big as I want and they don't crack. They cool in the Annealing Bubbles just fine!

All of these are over 1" wide with no problem. You can decorate to your heart's content if you cool the hollow slightly before decorating! I used a clear stringer to swirl the first bead. The middle bead is wonky because it was my first or second hollow, but you can see how neat the mixed colors are, and I was able to carefully rake the white into swirls, just don't puncture! Mixed colors do make the hollow more unstable, but the look is beautiful.

I just thought some of you might like to know this!

[baby firefly]

Kristina, you ain't outta the woods yet .....they could blow within a couple of days, or weeks, or a year down the road, if you don't get them annealed. Before I got my kiln I was always pushing the envelope and sometimes I'd get all excited, thinking that they made it a few days........ only to see that 2 weeks later, the beads broke in half.... Gotta save up your pennies and get a Kiln girl..!! I'm gonna tell Natasha to bar you from ordering anymore glass for your own good !!! Start saving, you will love having a kiln

[SilverRiverJewelry]

Mike from the glasshive does layaway on his kilns. Pay what you can when you can til its paid off then he makes it and ships it. I love my kiln, he is super fast to answer any questions and its made specifically for lampworkers.

[blong2001]

Kristina-thanks for posting a bead made of misty! That is a color I need to get! Your work is great!
Baby Firefly-yours are great too! Love your color combinations.
Do I think Devardi is worth the price? Definitely. The color range is fantastic. Some colors have their issues but for the most part I am happy with what I get.
The clear I got from this bunch is not as good as last time. Bubbly. But it is much better than the vetro that I purchased a couple months ago. Every glass manufacturer has issues with a few colors. You learn to work around it or skip buying it.
Keep up the good work!

[likes to make glass stuff]

Originally Posted by LaurieBSmith

Someone kindly boil down this thread for me.

1. Is Devardi worth its price?
2. What colors cause problems?
3. Is it compatible with 104?
4. How is the clear?
5. Do you like, love and want some more of it?
6. Is it temperature sensitive? (Does it burn easily?)

1244 posts!

1) yes.

2) none that I've hit yet-problems meaning cracking.

3) no problems I've seen.

4) haven't used it. I like lauscha, and I'm not willing to play around with it unless or until I have a problem with lauscha.

5) Yes. I was really disappointed that my budget didn't let me get more of it when this last shipment came in, but I'm planning to order some of the aventurine as soon as I can. I've pretty much given up on decent sparkle in it, even from self pulled from really sparkly beads. I think it's worth a shot to try it again. I really like the pinks...and the transparent olive(s), the transparent purple, and the grays-both opaque and transparent. The brown is poo colored, not red.

6) some of it, yes-I can't give specific colors because it tends to be me with most transparents from anyone. I tend to work hotter and faster, though, and tend to have boiling issues with any color that likes to boil at all. Rubino hates me, but I can work CIM cranberry....and Devardi transparent pinks without boiling them. I see the glass boil on the rod, so I pull off the tip and put it farther out and slow down.

I like the devardi black and the white, if someone wanted to just start out simple. The rods aren't very pretty, though. They may be bent and vary in diameter a great deal, even in one rod.

[SilverRiverJewelry]

Okay here are some from me. Sorry for the bad pics, I don't have the energy to dig out the light box.
semi opaque misty orange. I really like this color, parts of it turned opaque and parts of it are semi opaque its really pretty.


dark olive green opaque base, ivory and black twistie dk olive transparent on top.


lipstick pink with dk transparent rose flowers and gold aventurine centers. Love this light pink!


frog green with an ivory and black twistie. Love the marbling in this green, it reminiscent of the pea green from moretti but a deeper richer green.


and I have had this chestnut brown but hadn't tried it. Its a really pretty color of orangey brown with streaks. I will be using more of this one.

[Fine Folly Glassworks]

Originally Posted by baby firefly

Kristina, you ain't outta the woods yet .....they could blow within a couple of days, or weeks, or a year down the road, if you don't get them annealed. Before I got my kiln I was always pushing the envelope and sometimes I'd get all excited, thinking that they made it a few days........ only to see that 2 weeks later, the beads broke in half.... Gotta save up your pennies and get a Kiln girl..!! I'm gonna tell Natasha to bar you from ordering anymore glass for your own good !!! Start saving, you will love having a kiln

Thank you for the exhortation Holly but I DO anneal - in my huge 4' wide Evenheat glass kiln. I just don't have a bead kiln to put hot beads right into, so I must use the Annealing Bubbles. And by the way, they are exceptionally better than vermiculite at slower cooling and preventing cracking!


Diana, very nice collection and display with the mirror!

Sonja - thanks for that info and beautiful work there! I love that large Dark Olive bead!