Hollow drops

[beadammed]

I've recently seen hollow drop earrings which were filled with a purple fluid (like a tiny poison vial).  Does anyone know how to make these and how & what fluid might be in them?

[Pat from Canvey]

The only thing I can think of is that perhaps they use boro tube melted and sealed at one end, fluid inserted, perhaps glycerine coloured with food colourants ( used to colour Royal Icing) and the other end sealed up by quickly passing through the flame. Maybe Ian would like to try experimenting if he has time.

[StudioMarcy]

Does anyone have a link to these?

Marcy
http://www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com

[Ian R Pearson]

Yes sealing fluids in glass goes back many years. Many fluids can be used of course and no doubt imaginations will run riot but............ I used food colouring and water. Always distilled water as if using hard water then for some reason little black bits occur after time. I have sealed in oil for one company and that was tricky, being that oil and flames do not mix. Trick is not to let the liquid boil so must be ultra quick. Always leave as little gap as possible between top of liquid and point where sealing off as that makes the finished article look good but the easy way is to only half fill container. Two things could happen if one takes too long, either hot glass will blow out under too much pressure( liquid boils giving of gas or glass sucks in due to vacuum, hence timing is all important. Looks good though but be careful where finished items are left as if in warm place liquid expands and cracks glass

Ian