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Glass Gem MarblesWe 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. 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.
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