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History
Empir∃ Glassworks was established in 2013 to promote and cater to the vaping and smoking accessories market. The Artists and Owners have over 40 years of experience with crafting exquisite soft glass figurines, borosilicate beads, and metal-infused trinkets for the high-end jewelry community. With that structure and passion behind us, Empir∃ Glassworks has been able to create a full line of hand crafted vaping and smoking accessories –along with a limited line of designer creations that are distributed throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, & Europe. Our headquarters are located in Placentia, California, USA –One hour southeast of Los Angeles.
Our pieces are individually designed by our network of highly skilled glassblowers. These accessories are fashioned in a torch flame by a process called "lampworking”. Only the finest imported glass from Europe and the United States are used in producing our work. Most of the colors of our pieces are custom mixed. Each piece is carefully made and annealed in a kiln at over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit which makes for a stronger more durable product. The higher temperatures are also responsible for the rich natural colors characteristic of Empire Glassworks pieces. Many of our shapes come from customer suggestions.
Originally created for the Aerospace industry, dichroic chips are incorporated in many of our pieces. The brilliant optical properties of dichroic glass are the result of multiple micro-layers of metal oxides. These thin layers of oxides have a total thickness of three to five millionths of an inch. NASA developed dichroic glass for use in face shields in space suits. Multiple ultra-thin layers of different metals (gold, silver, titanium, chromium, aluminum, zirconium, magnesium, silicon) are applied to the surface of the glass. The glass is then kiln fired at extreme temperatures in a vacuum. The resulting plate of dichroic glass can then be fused with other glass in multiple firings. Certain wavelengths of light will either pass through or be reflected, causing an array of color to be visible. Due to variations in the firing process, individual results can never be exactly reproduced. Each piece of fused dichroic glass is unique and no two pieces are alike. The main characteristic of Dichroic Glass is that it has a transmitted color and a completely different reflective color. Furthermore, these two colors shift depending on angle of view. With the play of light together with its vibrant color, dichroic glass is a prime tool used to add interest to any piece of work or project.
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Empire Glassworks
Show More >
History
Empir∃ Glassworks was established in 2013 to promote and cater to the vaping and smoking accessories market. The Artists and Owners have over 40 years of experience with crafting exquisite soft glass figurines, borosilicate beads, and metal-infused trinkets for the high-end jewelry community. With that structure and passion behind us, Empir∃ Glassworks has been able to create a full line of hand crafted vaping and smoking accessories –along with a limited line of designer creations that are distributed throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, & Europe. Our headquarters are located in Placentia, California, USA –One hour southeast of Los Angeles.
Our pieces are individually designed by our network of highly skilled glassblowers. These accessories are fashioned in a torch flame by a process called "lampworking”. Only the finest imported glass from Europe and the United States are used in producing our work. Most of the colors of our pieces are custom mixed. Each piece is carefully made and annealed in a kiln at over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit which makes for a stronger more durable product. The higher temperatures are also responsible for the rich natural colors characteristic of Empire Glassworks pieces. Many of our shapes come from customer suggestions.
Originally created for the Aerospace industry, dichroic chips are incorporated in many of our pieces. The brilliant optical properties of dichroic glass are the result of multiple micro-layers of metal oxides. These thin layers of oxides have a total thickness of three to five millionths of an inch. NASA developed dichroic glass for use in face shields in space suits. Multiple ultra-thin layers of different metals (gold, silver, titanium, chromium, aluminum, zirconium, magnesium, silicon) are applied to the surface of the glass. The glass is then kiln fired at extreme temperatures in a vacuum. The resulting plate of dichroic glass can then be fused with other glass in multiple firings. Certain wavelengths of light will either pass through or be reflected, causing an array of color to be visible. Due to variations in the firing process, individual results can never be exactly reproduced. Each piece of fused dichroic glass is unique and no two pieces are alike. The main characteristic of Dichroic Glass is that it has a transmitted color and a completely different reflective color. Furthermore, these two colors shift depending on angle of view. With the play of light together with its vibrant color, dichroic glass is a prime tool used to add interest to any piece of work or project.
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