Pixie Dust
This product has a number of names from Pixie Dust to Mica. It is used to create a sparkle or pearl luster colour inside glass or on its surface. The colours are a fine powder, with most looking like white sparkling powder. The picture shows the colours on black glass.
Sold in 5 gram sample bags or 20g containers.
When Pixie Dust powders are on the outside of glass they will entirely cover it and the colour of the glass they are on influences the final look. A dark glass intensifies the effect. When you cover the powders with a transparent glass, you can control the density to either a sparse or a very dense matte look. Works on all glass except borosilicate (hard) glass.
Use Pixie Dust to create a sparkle or pearl luster colour inside glass or on its surface.
To use, form glass to its final shape. Allow the glass to harden but, still remain hot. Quickly heat the surface of the glass until molten. Avoid allowing the inside of the glass to become molten or it will probably loose its shape during some of the following application methods. Any of the following methods can be used to apply Pixie Dust powder. Pile Pixie Dust onto a metal or graphite work surface. Dip the glass into the powder and rotate it around until the glass is covered. The powder will only permanently adhere to molten glass. If you find that the powder did not adhere to the glass, it was not hot enough. The glass will coat with a thick layer of powder, but only the layer of powder that is in direct contact with the molten glass will adhere. The rest will be loose. Put the glass back into the flame to flame anneal it. Only use the cool end of the flame or the powder will burn onto the surface of the glass and the item will probably be ruined. Another application method is to place the powder into a shallow metal tray or Frit and Powder Trough. Apply the powder by inserting the glass in and rotate. Because Pixie Dust is made of mica, it is an excellent insulator. If the glass is completely engulfed in the powder, it performs a pseudo kind of flame annealing. You can also apply the powder by sprinkling or sifting it onto the glass. An enamel sifter works well. Sprinkling or sifting is the best method when you only have a small amount of powder to work with.
To encase glass that has just been coated, wipe off excess layers of powder first. Use a dry cotton cloth and wipe with a quick motion. Be careful with how you handle the cloth and where you put it, because it will get very hot and may catch fire. If you attempt to apply glass on top of the powder without wiping off the excess layers, the glass will just fall off, because it will only have stuck to the loose outside layer. Pixie Dust that is encased is protected from the flame and will not burn. The colour of the glass that the Pixie Dust is applied to affects the final look. You can do a quick colour test by simply coating the end of a glass rod. Even if you do not encase the glass after coating it, you can wipe off the excessive layers of powder to see if the application was successful.
You can also make a glass rod with Pixie Dust dispersed throughout it. Heat up a quantity of glass until molten. Mash it flat. In the center of the flattened glass, place a small amount of Pixie Dust. Without spilling the Pixie Dust, heat the opposite side of the glass in the flame until it becomes soft and pliable. Carefully fold the glass, trapping the Pixie Dust and sealing it in and away from possible direct contact with the flame. Do this while forcing out as much air as possible. Using the glass rod that the original flattened glass came from, as a punty, and another glass rod, mix the glass in the flame until well blended. Pull out into a rod.