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The Story Behind Tiffany Stained Glass

Tiffany Stained Glass artwork derives its name from its founder, Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1943). A painter and interior decorator, he formed a company by the name of Tiffany Glass Company in 1885 that has since ceased operations. His glass work using copper foil has gained immense popularity in recent years. Tiffany is one of the most popular and well-known names in the field of stained glass.

The history of stained glass can be traced back to 11 A.D. in the religious settings of the Middle East. Louis Tiffany has provided more reknown to this artwork that was lost in the ruins of Pompeii.

Steps for Making Tiffany-style Stained Glass Lamps

Making lampshades, panels, windows and other interior decorative items out of stained glass is a challenge. An initial design in the form of a drawing, rough sketch or painting is prepared and then converted into the stained glass format. You need to take care that the individual pieces fit very well to each other to create more strength. The end result is a beautiful design of art, rendering in glass what existed previously only in the artist’s mind.

After the visualization process, you create a template for the different glass pieces with heavy craft paper. Later, the craft paper is divided into pieces representing individual pieces of glass. A corresponding sheet of glass is required to cut the glass by using a glass cutter tool. The artists use glass grinders to give a smooth finish to the rough edges of the glass.

The artists make sure that all the pieces fit according to the initial design. Some artists work simply out of their imagination without first having a predetermined design in place. But beginners need to have a pattern to follow. Wooden frames and metal pins can be used to hold the entire project steady for soldering. Before soldering, the zinc edges of the glass are painted on all sides with a coat of soldering flux. No machinery is used in the preparation of stained glass. The artists use simple hand tools. Each piece is unique.

Coloring Tiffany Glass

Tiffany-style stained glass is colored by adding various metal oxides and minerals to the glass. Different elements are used for creating different colors. Copper can be used to obtain red and green colors. Yellow and green colors are obtained from uranium, while green and brown colors are obtained from iron. Antimony can be used to create yellow. By using a combination of these elements, the choice of colors is virtually endless.

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