Gold Coloured Glasses

Olympic Color Rods just sent out an email notice that due to the rising price of gold - all their gold-based colours are going up in price. Olympic sells mostly furnace glass - for casting and blowing - so if you aren't familar with them - that's why. But they do have frit and tools and some lampworking supplies, and even some 104 COE stuff (although it is mostly 96 COE - which is what furnace glass generally is) - and the site is nicely laid out and attractive - so it's worth a look.

But that's not where I was going with this - where I WAS going is that they included a list of the gold-based colours that are going up, which is decent of them, but more to the point - gives us an insight as to which colours have gold in them, and what gold does in terms of the colours it creates.

R-2 Gold Ruby R-3 Gold Ruby Dark R-6 Aurora Reddish R-8 Aurora Yellowish R-9 Fuschia R-10 Violet Blue R-11 Heliotrope R-12 Amethyst Reddish R-13 Amethyst Bluish R-14 Hyacinth R-19 Gold Topaz R-63 Flamingo R-64 Opal Pink R-65 Opal Raspberry R-66 Opal Dense Rose R-88 Opal Violet R-96 Purple R-97 Lilac Red R-99 Red Violet R-105 Florence

R-150 Old Rose R-151 Soft Rose R-152 Soft Violet R-162 Sahara R-164 Ocher Yellow R-166 Opaline Pink R-168 Apricot R-97 Lilac R-212 Brilliant Gold R-217 Iris Gold R-218 Iris Yellow R-231 Brilliant Ruby R-232 Wine Red R-250 Gold Ruby Xt Lt R-252 Aurora Lt R-254 Fuschia Lt R-255 Pale Violet Blue R-300 Pink Opal Lead Free R-301 Rose Lead Free R-731 Coral Pink

Notice the predominance of pinks, some purples (check out that r-14 Hyacinth - to die for!) and a smattering of browns (topazes). (Some of these links seem a little scrambled - but you get the idea.)

Pinks, Purples and Browns have gold in them - and that accounts for their higher prices. That's why Effetre's Rubino Oro (Ruby GOLD) and EDP are so much more expensive.

If nothing else - you can use this as a talking point when you sell beads. "Ah yes - isn't that a beautiful shade of pink? That colour is made with gold you know - real gold in the glass."