An Introduction to Glass Types

Glass is so ubiquitous that we tend to take it for granted. People have been making glass for about 3000 years; the earliest glass was made from sand heated to the point where it melted, but glass types became more diverse and increasingly advanced over time. Designers now have a wide variety of glass types to choose from; some fit specific applications better than others, while in other instances, the choice will be entirely aesthetic. Some of the most popular include:

Ultra Clear or Extra Clear Glass

Ultra clear glass, also known as extra clear glass, is formulated with a very low iron content, which lets through more light than regular or annealed glass. This creates a barely there appearance without the faint green tint shown by thick pieces of regular glass. The Ti Coffee Table is available in both glass types.

Crackled Glass

Crackled glass, used to make one-of-a-kind tabletops, involves layering three pieces of glass and laminating them together. The center layer of tempered glass is then cracked into thousands of tiny pieces, held in place by the other two layers. Modern crackled glass is not to be confused with craquele, a much older technique where hot glass was shattered, then re-melted and re-blown.

Mirrored Glass

Mirror finished furniture looks wonderfully modern, especially considering the ancient and virtually unchanged techniques behind it. The first glass mirrors appeared almost 2,000 years ago, and just like today, they were made of simple glass with a metal backing. In fact, mirrored glass is one of the few items in our homes would be instantly recognizable to our ancestors. The Psiche Mirrored Buffet is just one of the many contemporary pieces clad in this ageless finish.