Why does chameleon glass change color

As you smoke your pipe and it gets dirty from the resin, the black resin does not allow the light to pass through the glass. This allows the light to almost reflect back through the gold and silver fuming. As this happens over time from smoking, the pipe will appear to change color.

The light colors you could not see will begin to really pop! Some people call this a chemeleon pipe as like the lizard the pipe changes colors as it is used. One of the first companies to ever sell a fumed pipe was Chemeleon Glass. Silver - When someone fumes with silver properly you get blues and purples.

This is an art form to get the perfect amount of silver fuming. If one goes too light you will get some purples later on as you use the pipe. If the artist goes too heavy on the silver fuming the pipe will not change color and you will see this milky white on the glass.

Stay away from this as the artist just was not up to par to produce a color changing pipe. Gold - When the artist fumes with gold you get pinks and oranges. But how exactly did we get from clear to color changing chameleon glass pipes? Any article written about glass techniques would simply be incomplete without first mentioning The Godfather of Glass, Bob Snodgrass.

Bob has more than five decades in the glass blowing field. Because of him, Eugene, Oregon has been called Mecca for glassblowers. Snodgrass considers himself an inventor. He says his love of glass comes from the potential to create something new, and then share his techniques with the countless students he has taught over the years.

Bob set up a mobile glassblowing studio in the back of his Volkswagon van, and started producing glass pipes for fellow Deadheads. Eventually he settled in Eugene, Oregon where he still makes stunning glass pipes to this day, and continues to teach the next generation of artistic glass blowers. It is because of Bob Snodgrass that glass pipes are not only functional, but incredibly beautiful pieces of hand blown glass art.

While lampworking what he prefers to call glassblowing one day, Bob accidentally vaporized silver between his flame and the pipe he was making. Certain he had ruined hours worth of work Snodgrass was surprised to find that when the piece cooled it was beautiful.

Instead it changed colors like a chameleon, creating a gorgeous ever-changing unique pipe, and an inherently dynamic piece of art. Chameleon pipes color changing glass pipes possess both transmitting as well as reflective properties. When the glass pipe is clean, and against a light background, the transmitted colors can be seen.

When the glass pipe is put against a dark background or as gunk builds up from use light can no longer pass through the glass so it will show only reflected colors. Fuming offers an iridescent and reflective quality to any glass pipe, and thus turns it into chameleon glass. This technique is done by vaporizing silver, gold, or platinum between the flame and the glass tubing.

Just click the Create An Account button to get started. Once you're registered with our store, you'll have the opportunity to take part in all of the exciting ways we currently offer to earn points! Subscribe to Our Mailing List. Your cart. Process Check out. View and edit cart. Default Title. Sold out Add to cart. Secured and trusted checkout with. It is your own responsibility to know your state and local laws regarding the possession and use of tobacco pipes and accessories.

Please email us if you do not see your country as a shipping option. We inspect all products upon return. You may also like these products.