"Dichroic" (pronounced Dye-CROW-ick), is Greek: di means two and chroic means color. It is defined as the property of having more than one color, especially when viewed from different angles or from transmitted to reflected light. The main characteristic of dichroic glass is that it has a transmitted color and a completely different reflective color. Dichroic coatings transmit certain wavelengths of light, while reflecting others, thus creating an interference-effect similar to the iridescence observed in nature's fire opal, dragonfly wings and hummingbird feathers. The transmitted color is different than the reflected color, and when the light rays transmit straight through the glass they are less effected by refraction than when passing at an off axis angle, which makes the light travel a greater distance through the glass. It is this distance that causes a color shift.

When dichroic glass is viewed at even slightly different angles, you will see a variety of different colors as you rotate it. When rotated, the intermediate colors will shift down the rainbow. The colors of a true, natural rainbow produced in our atmosphere are usually considered to be in the sequence of violet-blue green-yellow-orange-red. In a typical simple single-stack dichroic glass design used by most manufacturers, the reflective rainbow is similar to the natural rainbow. The transmitted rainbow is, however, in the sequence of yellow-magenta-blue-cyan. Since there is no green or red available in the transmitted rainbow a second more complex two stack design is often used that provides a transmitted rainbow similar to a natural rainbow. This allows the production of a sheet of dichroic glass that transmits both green or red.

The dichroic glass colors that we use in our jewelry have as many as 30 layers of quartz crystal and metallic oxides, yet the thickness of the total coating is approximately 35 millionths of an inch. The coating that is created is very similar to a gemstone and by careful control in thickness, different colors are obtained. Thus, all coatings are created using the same exact materials.

With the play of light together with its vibrant color, dichroic glass has become our material of choice to add depth, dimension, color contrast and complete uniqueness to each piece of dichro X jewelry.

Dichroic glass in other applications:

Dichroic Glass was originally created for the Aerospace industry for Satellite mirrors, but it now has many technical uses including: Lighting, Fiber Optics, Infrared Lasers, Motion Picture Equipment, Sun Glasses, and more.

Dichroic is so versatile that it is being used in large architectural applications, stained glass type installations, tile production, and even in construction. Its resilience to weather and never-fading colors are prime material to enhance office buildings, custom homes, walkways, fountains, skylights, walls, lighting fixtures and more.