Glass Gem Marbles

Glass gem marbles come in two forms: flattened and spherical, which are just traditional toy glass marbles.

Glass gem marbles have a variety of names: glass globs, glass shapes, flat marbles, craft marbles, accent marbles, mosaic marbles or glass gems.  All of these terms refer to a glass gem that is flat on the back side for gluing to surfaces. The shape of the gem is like a bead of water.

We have several varieties available online:

• translucent gems
• assorted mixes
• opaque gems
• tumbled gems with a frosted finish
• beach glass and a line of iridescent gems.

Our iridescent glass gem marbles are fired at an extra high temperature in the presence of mineral salts for a mildly iridescent finish. The glass of the gems is thoroughly opaque, and the surface shimmers with a reflective gloss. The appearance is striking.  

Glass gem marbles are great for mosaic mirrors, picture frames, backsplashes and mosaic stepping stones, but they also work well as accents in mosaic images. You can also use these gems successfully in mosaic art other than "found-object" collage pieces. For example, this goldfish mosaic uses the tumbled cobalt gems for the background. The rest of the mosaic was made with glass mosaic tile. While the centers of the gems are slightly thicker than glass mosaic tile, the edges curve downward, allowing the gems to provide a 3-D texture to the surface without sticking out too far or too abruptly.

Toy Glass Marbles

Toy glass marbles can easily be used in mosaic stepping stones and other applications where the pieces are pressed into wet concrete. Gluing round marbles to a flat surface requires more care. You should use a thick and tarry adhesive like Liquid Nails brand so that the marbles don't slip out during grouting. Some people report that they place the marbles in an old towel and crack with a hammer and use the pieces, but the pieces can be quite sharp. The solution we commonly use is to drill or punch shallow holes in the surface of our piece so that the bottom of the marble sits down in a socket. Most materials used to make picture and mirror frames are soft, so it isn't that difficult to use marbles if you are determined. The results seem to justify the effort.  The swirled colors and the rounded surface makes an accent that really catches the eye.  A stepping stone looks great with at least a few marbles. 

For links to mosaic project ideas, visit our Online Mosaic Instructions Guide. For advice on how select and use mosaic materials and how to plan projects for durability and ease of construction, please see our Mosaic Questions page or our Mosaic Instructions.

	Assorted Glass Gem Marbles Glass gem marbles come in various assortments that change periodically.
	Translucent Glass Gem Marbles Glass gem marbles come in various assortments that change periodically.
	Iridescent Glass Gem Marbles Iridescent glass gem marbles are opaque glass fired at high temperatures with an iridescent finish.
	Tumbled Glass Gem Marbles Tumbled glass gem marbles are tumbled for frosted finish similar to that of tumbled  beach glass.
	Toy Glass Marbles Traditional swirls and pattern make spherical toy glass marbles a good design element for catching the eye.

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