Even though this glass was coded: SL 189 its look and characteristics behaved very much like the well loved double helix glass Triton.

This glass was soft and easy to melt in a medium flame and remained true to its colour in a neutral setting of equal parts oxygen and propane.

Once a reduction flame is created, the molten glass bead surface can change to a deep blue and or gold lustre finish. To keep this ‘look’ the bead is not encased in a transparent layer of glass.

 This bead was made entirely using glass sample SL189 – the donut-shaped bead base was then treated with a reduction flame, causing the surface to develop a metallic sheen.

Under the flame (to not reverse the effect) the bead was then decorated with a series of clear (Effetre super clear) dots and melted into the body of the bead.

During this process, the glass that was trapped under the clear dots kept its lustre finish, while the rest of the bead returned to its original dark blue colour. The bead was then decorated with fine lustre dots, made with stringers pulled from the rod before the beads were made. The metallic finish was achieved by gently flaming the surface of the bead until the dots changed colour.

This bead was made in the same way as bead #2 but reintroduced into the flame at the end to strike the lustre dot. It was left in the reduction flame a little longer to re-strike parts of the bead that remained dark blue.

Triton prototype reduces. 

Sold at ISGB Oakland 2008.