Glass Gem Marbles

We have glass gem marbles (flattened) and traditional toy glass marbles (spherical).

Glass gem marbles are called a variety of names such as craft marbles or accent marbles or glass gems.  All these names refer to a glass gem that is flat on the back side for gluing to surfaces. The shape of the gems is like a bead of water.  Our glass gem marbles are great for mosaic mirror and picture frames, backsplashes and mosaic stepping stones, but they also work well in mosaic images.  Remember, you CAN use these gems successfully in mosaic art other than "found-object" collage pieces.  For example, the goldfish mosaic at the gallery uses the tumbled cobalt gems for the background.  The other parts of that mosaic were made with glass mosaic tile.  While the centers of the gems are slightly thicker than glass mosaic tile, the edges curve downward, which allows the gems to provide some 3-D texture to the mosaic surface without sticking out too far or too abruptly.   

We have several varieties of glass gem marbles available online including translucent gems, assorted mixes, opaque gems, tumbled gems with a frosted finish like 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.  

In addition to our glass gem marbles, we also carry toy glass marbles (spherical) in the traditional 9/16" size with colorful swirls and patterns similar to the marbles of yester year.  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.  We wouldn't consider making a stepping stone without at least a few marbles. 

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 page of Mosaic Instructions.

Return to Top

	Toy Glass Marbles Traditional swirls and pattern make spherical toy glass marbles a good design element for catching the eye.
	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.

Return to Top