GB2468709A

GB2468709A - A method of encasing ashes within glass

Info

Publication number: GB2468709A
Application number: GB0904777A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Rhodes; James Watts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-03-20
Filing date: 2009-03-20
Publication date: 2010-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2029-03-20
Also published as: GB2468709B; GB0904777D0

Abstract

A method is disclosed of encasing ashes within layers of glass to form part of a glass object so that when the glass object is bisected, the glass does not crumble or break, either immediately or over time. The method consists in mixing molten glass with the ash so as to encase the ash in the glass, and then sandwiching that layer of glass between two further layers of glass so as to encase the ash and glass layer within surrounding layers of ash-free glass. Any one of the layers may be coloured or clear glass. The glass may be shaped to form a flat piece of glass to be cut into a flat crystal or the glass may be shaped to form an inner layer of glass and cremated ashes and an outer layer of clear glass to be faceted.

Description

Page 1

Description for "Ashes and Glass Crystal"

This invention relates to a crystal to be mounted in a piece of jewellery.

The basic techniques that this invention relates to date back hundreds of years. It is to sandwich a material in between layers of glass to display it. Materials that can be displayed in this way can include glass itself, coloured glass, gold leaf, silver leaf, copper wire, bicarbonate of soda to make bubbles, ceramics and also cremation ashes. This process is carried out when the glass is in a molten state. It is then cooled slowly (annealed) to room temperature.

fig 1. (gather of clear glass) fig 2. (material marvered into gather of glass) fig 3. (another gather of glass over the top of this) Importantly in relation to this invention, different materials act differently within the layers of glass. Glass will stick to other glass to become one body of material, as will such things as Gold & Silver leaf. Such things as copper wire and ceramics are merely "suspended" within the glass and are not actually stuck to it. Cremation ashes are in this category. They are not stuck to the glass; they are merely suspended within it.

fig 4. (silver leaf stuck to the glass forming one body of material) fig 5. (layer of ashes not stuck within the glass) Glass pieces can be produced by adding cremation ashes to molten glass in this way.

Objects such as paperweights or blown vessels such as vases can be produced. For any object such as these, it is fine because the ashes are held within the glass by the strength of the glass. The ashes are fully surrounded by glass.

fig 6. (vase with ashes fully within the glass) fig 7. (paperweight with ashes fully within) This invention relates to the problems arising when the glass needs to be cut, faceted or toughened to be mounted in a piece of jewellery. When the 3 layers are cut through fully, especially in the small measurements required for jewellery, the material crumbles and flakes due to the layer of "unstable" ashes which acts as a barrier to the layers of glass adhering to each other.

fig 8. (piece cut out of the whole gather) fig 9. (flat piece showing crumbles) Page 2 To overcome this, the present invention proposes that there is a layer of ashes and glass which have been previously mixed together. This makes a layer in which the particles of ash are seperated by a volume of glass preventing the ashes forming a full "sheet" to seperate the layers of glass. This is done by "marvering" the ashes into the end of a "glob" or "gather" of glass.

fig 10. (marvering the ashes in to the.gather) This is then mixed up with a two pronged tool (fig ha.) and continually heated to ensure the ashes are fully dispersed into the glass.

fig ha. (design for a two pronged tool for mixing the ashes into the glass) fig 11. (pronged tool in the gather) fig 12. (reheat the gather) This piece of "glass and ashes" is then applied over the top of another piece of glass to form the middle layer. This can be done in two ways; 1. dropped onto the top of the first piece of glass and squashed round fig 13. (dropped over first layer) 2. blown in to a bubble and pushed over the first layer (This may be the best method to ensure an even layer) fig 14. (blown & overlayed) A bubble is blown into this mass of glass fig 15. (bubble in glass) This is then covered with a final layer of clear glass.

fig 16. (another gather) This pre-mixing of the ashes and glass separates the particles of ashes and ensures that there is not a "sheet" of ashes seperating the two layers of glass. The glass and ashes can then be cut through, faceted and toughened without the chance of crumbling, flaking or breaking immediately or over time.

fig 17. (piece cut from round) fig 18. (flat sketch) Page 3 For a flat crystal, the glass is made flat and then the excess glass is cut away Once cooled down (annealed) fig 19. (flat end) fig 20. (cut rest away) For a faceted crystal, the glass can be shaped to form a centre of ashes and glass. Facets can then be cut around the centre.

fig 21. (centre in glass) fig 22. (cuts around centre)