Frequently Asked Questions
What is glass?
Glass is a manmade material that is hard when finished. Source materials for making most types of glassware are silica, limestone, and soda ash. These are melted together in a special furnace at very high temperatures of about 1,600 Celsius (2,900 Fahrenheit). The mixture is then gradually cooled to achieve a hard state.
What is Murano glass?
Murano glass is glass manufactured on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. The official history of Murano Glass – the most famous Italian Glass – starts in 1292 when the Venetian government issued a decree that all glassworks in Venice had to relocate to the Island of Murano in the Venetian Lagoon. This created a unique situation where the concentration of skills and talent on a small island led to the rapid development of glassmaking techniques and the evolution of the craft. During the Renaissance interest in decorative glassware heightened and glass blowing on Murano island turned into a large and profitable industry, which survives to this day.
What is Effetre or Moretti glass?
Effetre (sometimes also known as ‘Moretti’) is Italian soft glass (soda lime glass) typically used for making jewellery at the torch or for glass fusion. It is produced on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy by the Effetre company. Created in 1958 in Murano by brothers Carlo and Giovanni Moretti, this company stands as one of a kind in the city’s vast history of glassmakers. Carlo Moretti embodies the excellence of Italian design, hundreds of years of Venetian tradition and immense entrepreneurial courage. The firm, born out of love and admiration for glassmaking, takes inspiration from the Venetian Lagoon and its beautiful colours. It is the very same city that acts as constant inspiration in each and every one of their designs, reflecting its movements, colours and vibrations through glass. Carlo Moretti is one of the few remaining artisan factories (fabbrica d’autore) in Murano.
What do you mean when you say ‘Murano Glass’ on this website?
‘Effetre Murano SRL’ is the only manufacturer of semi-finished glass on the island of Murano. The strong point of Effetre Murano Srl, is the wide range of colours for its various items. This means the company is well-known all around the world.The glass items for sale on the Glass Obsession website are made by myself in my glass studio in Torbay, Auckland New Zealand under my creative name ‘The Alchemist’, using 99% Murano glass made by Effetre, as well as some other compatible COE104 glass.
What are millefiori?
Millefiori is Italian, meaning ‘thousands of flowers.’ Millefiori murrini (slices) are made from layering glass to form intricate and complicated designs, heated in a furnace and pulled to form a miniature version of the design in the shape of a cane which is cut into tiny slices. These are then fused together to create complex glass artwork. Ever since visiting Venice in 2014 I have been fascinated by these tiny little explosions of light, saturated colour and patterns. I love the infinite possibilities working with millefiori affords, it appeals to both the glass artist and the mosaic artist in me.
What about glass pieces incorporating cremains?
Remembering loved ones by way of glass or glass jewellery is a concept as old as time, simple and enduring. Choosing glass, in this case jewellery made from fused glass and cremains ashes, can be a lovely and meaningful memorial. The dual nature of glass seems very fitting. Glass, I think, is magic, neither a solid nor a liquid but a combination of the two. It is a profoundly elemental medium, the result of fire and earth combined in an almost alchemical process. As the glass cools, the malleable semi-liquid is transfigured into one of the most durable and resilient, yet at the same time delicate and fragile, solids on earth, encapsulating the precious ashes safely within. Please know that making memorial glass is a task with responsibility I take very seriously. If you are reading this and considering a piece of remembrance glass please know that my heart breaks for you and I will do my utmost to create a little meaningful glass memorial for you. Please do get in touch if you’d like to know more as cremains glass is made by custom order only, POA.
Can the micro moulds be used in the microwave kiln?
The short answer is ‘yes’, the long answer is a bit more involved. I have used all of these moulds successfully in my microwave kilns, both for personal use and during workshops I run. The most important thing is to be patient. Glass and ceramic are two different substances and they expand and contract at different rates. To successfully use micro moulds I use a microwave of no more than 1100 watt (below 1000 is actually better, the lower the power output the more control you have over the speed and intensity of the heatwork). I always start on the lowest possible setting for 10 minutes and work up in overlapping steps. So on my MW this looks like so: 10min @10%, 10min @20%; 10min @20%, 10min @30%; 10min@30% 10min @40% and so on. This allows the mould and glass to warm up gently. I never fire any higher than 60% and even that only rarely. Doing it this way does mean it takes time, but the cry factor is much reduced. There is absolutely no point in zapping the glass at full tilt, the likelihood that you wreck the mould and ruin the glass are high. It is important to note at this point that these moulds are not specifically designed for MWK and so your choice to use them in this manner is yours and not covered by any return or refund policy.
What preparation do you recommend for any of the moulds?
All moulds should be appropriately treated with a glass separator, be that a kiln wash or boron nitride. The former comes in powdered forms, the latter as an aerosol spray or brushable liquid. No moulds are ready to be used with glass and fired once you receive them. By the same token this also means that there are no returns or exchanges possible of the product once it has been used. If there are any concerns regarding the product you MUST get in touch before applying anything or firing it.