Class 'n Glass features a unique form of fused glass jewelry. Artist Gayle Bamber has combined space-age materials, in the form of dichroic glass, either by itself or in combination with the warmth of old-world silver. This brand new concept in fused glass jewelry is a labor of love for Gayle who has spent the last 35 years of her life in the healing profession. Gayle Bamber is a rare artist of taste and individual style who, in the last several years, has created many lines of elegantly designed pieces of personal ornamentation. Dichroic glass is created from ordinary glass that is cleaned and fastened to a rotating arm at the top of a furnace chamber. Metal oxides are placed in a crucible in the chamber, vacuum is applied, and the furnace is heated to 350 dgF. The oxides within the crucible are vaporized by an electronic beam, and the rotating glass is evenly coated with several thin layers of oxide compounds. The finished coatings transmit and reflect certain wavelengths of light which create an iridescence much like that observed in nature: fire opals, mica, dragonfly wings, and hummingbird feathers. In dichroic glass a third color is produced by viewing the piece at a 45 dg angle. Gayle takes as much pride in the creation of her one-of-a-kind pieces as she does care in making sure that each creation is prepared and composed with a richness of style and understated elegance. The pleasure of owning Gayle Bamber's jewelry is as rich as the pieces themselves. This bringing together of unique personal ornamentation and those who appreciate this new form of art --- and the constant compliments they receive --- is just one of the many reasons for the growing success of Gayle Bamber's Class 'n Glass. |
