Everything You Need To Know About Iris Glass Jewellery

Everything You Need To Know About Iris Glass Jewellery

In the realm of antique jewellery, few styles evoke the same sense of glamour, sophistication, and elegance as Art Deco Iris Glass Jewellery. Rooted in the vibrant and innovative Art Deco movement of the 1920s and 1930s, this exquisite jewellery captivates with its mesmerizing rainbow display of colour

Produced in the Czech Republic "Iris glass," is a type of glass that possesses a unique iridescent or rainbow-like sheen. This effect is achieved through a special manufacturing process involving the incorporation of metallic oxides into the glass composition. When light interacts with the surface of iris glass, it undergoes diffraction, resulting in the display of various colours similar to those seen in a prism or the surface of an oil slick.

The Czech Republic boasts a rich tradition of glass production that stretches back for centuries, deeply ingrained in the country's cultural heritage. Benefitting from the abundant natural resources and raw materials found in its surroundings, Czech glass has earned a stellar reputation for its durability, artistic flair, and innovative designs. What once started as a modest cottage industry has evolved into a global powerhouse, exporting some of the finest glass products worldwide. Czech glass finds its way into a myriad of everyday items, ranging from humble buttons to extravagant chandeliers, showcasing its versatility and ubiquity.

Among the treasures of Czech glass history, glass jewellery and beads hold a special and esteemed status. One notable creation from the early 1900s is Iris Glass, crafted by incorporating three distinct coloured sections into crystal clear glass. This technique aimed to emulate the ethereal hues sometimes observed in natural clear quartz, when fractures or plains within the crystal structure disperse white light, revealing internal spectral colours. Antique Iris Glass often features soft, delicate pastel tones of green, red, and blue, while vintage iterations tend to exhibit more pronounced and vibrant stripes of colour. Each piece of Iris Glass evokes a miniature rainbow. Here we have a beautiful example of an Iris Glass Necklace for sale in the shop.

Dragon’s Breath, also known as Dragon’s Breath Opal at times, is another captivating creation of Czech glass craftsmanship that defies its name by not being an opal at all. This marvel emerged in the early 1900s through a process involving the addition of metal to molten glass, showcasing the innovative ingenuity of Czech glass artisans. We have a wonderful example of a Dragon's Breath brooch available to shop.

 

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