Alexandrite glass

[Redhotsal]

Does anyone know where/if you can get Alexandrite glass rods? "Real" alexandrite is dichromatic - i.e. the appearance changes according to the ambient light. A customer of mine wants some beads made out of this. I know it exists as I have seen lampwork beads in this colour and I even have alexandrite Swarovskis. Sure enough in bright sunlight they are a beautiful violet colour and in dark light with artificial lighting they turn a bluey green colour.

Fascinating stuff  - I think the glass may be Czech but that's about all I know......

Anyone??

[Shirley]

Don't Vetrofond do a colour called alexamdrite? Not sure if it reacts the way the stone itself does. I think I got one rod of this in a multipack given out at a Plowden and Thompson course. I do have a Russian alexandrite ring though, and it is amazing

[afina]

Ornela has it. I don't know who carries Ornela (czech glass) in the UK, but I know some distrubutors in Germany, e.g. http://www.glassulger.de or https://www.ombos.net/shop/index.php?cat=KAT11&product=232021.

[garishglobes]

Yup, my Czech glass alexandrite beads do that. Makes it darned awkward to pack them under long-life light bulbs! They seem ok (light purple) under some bulbs and light blue under others.
Bullseye Neo Lavender transparent does it too. Not sure about the opaque one.

[julieHB]

Hi,
found several us sites who sells it, but finally came across this:

http://www.cosma.cz/glasstechnik/

I don't know if it is of any help, have never heard of the glass, and good luck to you!!  (if you do make some beads with it please let us know if it is gorgeous  )

[Isabelle]

 Good old effetre do a blue/pink glass that changes depending on the light source - I'm sure Q stocks it.
Modified to say, just checked - Pale Lavender and Lavender Blue both do it - I've used both, and they're really nice.

[glassworks]

i actually think that the alexandrite from vetrofond is a better colour shifter?.. i know that dora has used it for some of her cabs?..

[beads-on-toast]

i got my lavender from Martin

[Isabelle]

 Oooh, I've put the vetro one on my list for next order "-))

[BeadyBugs]

Hi Sal,

I've just been through my rod collection to check the number as it's one of my favourite colours, and the best looking one that I've got is Effetre 081 Dark Lavender.  A lovely pinky purple that goes a very different blue grey under fluorescent light.  I thought it was 082, but I think that's the vetrofond version, pretty sure I've used that as well.  Q's got the vet one, as Anna said Martin's got the Effetre one.

Here's a set of beads made a while ago from Dark Lavender, and I've just zapped the second image in Photoshop to show you roughly what happens under fluorescent light.


And a more recent bead made with Bullseye Lavender - lurvely colour that also colour shifts.


Hope that helps.  

HP x

[beadysam]

SAL I've got a spare rod of the 2 colour shifters I think (I'd have to check), but you are welcome to them to try before you go buy a bundle. Just let me know hun 

[Redhotsal]

Oh Thanks everyone!
I think I had a transparent lavender once - looked just like the Alexandrite colour. Never thought to check it to see if it changed. Helen - that's exactly what it does!
Sam - that would be great - I'll get back to you in about a week - I'm away on Sat. Perhaps I could swap something you'd like?

[silverlemon]

I love this colour, I use it in loads of my designs.

basically I use Effetre, Bullseye and Vetrofond, from Tuffnells, Q, Creative Glass.

I've been told by Dickie that any glass in this type of shade will shift tint (be careful how you say that ) because of the way the colour absorbs and reflects the light wavelengths at this end of the spectrum. Right up your street Sal  .
If you want to know more of the geekiness I'll get Dickie to post

[Redhotsal]

It's good to get a bit of a geek fix. Thanks for that Sarah. How's the hip doing??

[Mary]

The opaque Effetre lavender does it too, the hand pulled one with the pearly sheen. Got me really confused what this blue glass was, my energy saver bulbs change the colour!