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Stained Glass Terminology

The following is an alphabetical list of stained glass terms that you may see used throughout my website.

  • Bevel: A piece of clear glass cut and polished at an angle that gives rainbows when light is refracted.
  • Cathedral Glass: Colored glass that is transparent with or without a textured surface.
  • Cats Paw Glass: An opalescent glass having a mottled appearance like that of a cat paw print.
  • Copper Foil: Narrow strips of adhesive-backed copper tape used to wrap the edges of glass pieces. The foil is centered on the glass and folded over the front and back edge to allow for a small portion to be exposed. The pieces are then laid out next to each other according to the pattern and solder is melted over the foil surfaces joining the pieces of glass together. Often referred to as the “copper foil technique”, “copper foil method”, or “The Tiffany Method”. (See Tiffany Method below)
  • Dichroic Glass: A special type of glass that displays two different colors in certain lighting conditions and viewing positions.
  • English Muffle: A type of glass often seen in Victorian stained glass pieces featuring muted colors, a highly refractive texture and crystalline quality.
  • Fracture and Streamer Glass: Is a specialty type of glass featuring arranged glass shards (fractures) and/or glass strings (streamers). These fractures and streamers are placed on the casting table before the glass is poured and are then pressed into the glass sheet as it is being formed.  
  • Glass Etching: Frosted glass achieved by using an acid compound that frosts/etches the glass.
  • Glass Paint: Special paint made specifically for glass work that is cured at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Glue Chip Glass: Specialty glass that has a crystalline or icy looking texture.
  • GNA Glass: German New Antique glass with a machine-drawn pattern.
  • Granite Glass: Glass with a rolled rough and bumpy texture on one side of the glass surface.
  • Hammered Glass:  Cathedral glass with a texture on one side imitating hammered metal.
  • Iridescent Glass: Glass that has gone through a surface treatment to give it a look of mother of pearl that shifts color when seen from different angels.
  • Jewel(s): Pieces made to look like precious stones that are flat on one side and faceted on the other. They can also feature a pressed design on the front side and have a flat back. They are often used in decorative stained glass pieces.
  • Nugget: A glass "nugget" is essentially a marble that has been flattened on one side allowing for easy application into stained glass work.
  • Opal, Opalescent or Opaque Glass: Is a type of glass that has opal (white) glass mixed with one or more other colors. Mixing the opal can give that glass an appearance that is either non-transparent or semi-opaque. It can be made with a single color + the opal creating “solid color opalescent glass”  Or it can contain two or more colors streaked together with the opal to create “mixed opalescent glass”. Light transmission will vary from sheet to sheet. Also sometimes referred to as “streaky” glass.
  • Opaque: Not transparent.
  • Patina:  Using a special chemical, the silver solder lines can have "patina" applied to them that will change the look to a black/bronze (black patina) finish or a copper finish (copper patina).
  • Ring Mottled Glass: A type of opaque glass that has spots of translucent color.
  • Ripple Glass: Glass having a rippled texture on one side of the glass.
  • Rough Rolled Glass: A type of glass with an “organic” texture with no repeating pattern. It creates distortion with no pattern.
  • Rondel: A mouth-blown circular shape of glass that is often irregular in shape and has a mark in the center from the spinning process.
  • Solder: A metal alloy usually comprised of tin and lead that is used to permanently bond metals in stained glass work.
  • Seedy Glass: A type of glass that has tiny bubbles throughout the sheet.
  • Streaky Glass: Glass having color(s) unevenly distributed within the glass to form streaks and/or swirls.
  • Tiffany Method: A stained glass manufacturing technique named after its creator: Louis Comfort Tiffany.
  • Translucent: Allows the passage of light but does not permit a clear view.
  • Waterglass: A type of Cathedral glass with a soft wavy flow.
  • Wispy Glass: Cathedral glass that contains white (opal) aloud-like streaks, wisps and swirls.
  • Zinc came: Is much stronger and more rigid than lead came, it is often used to frame a stained glass panel.