Carolyn Johnson emailed us recently about this special and unusual use of vermiculite.

Essentially, enamel bead makers use vermiculite to slow down the rate of cooling when making homemade glass beads or enamel. By slowing down the rate of cooling, the enamel hobbiest can reduce the number of beads that "crack" and/or "shatter."

For the uninitiated, enameling is the art of applying glass to metal. And enamel bead making is a terrific introduction to the world of hot glass beads.

You can read about this at http://www.pinzart.com/instruction.html where the authors describe this interesting and fascinating hobby.

On this site are pictures and step-by-step directions of how to "enamel" right in your own home. The page also has a link to more detailed instructions, additional techniques, and troubleshooting tips.

A Backyard Crucible

Again, you can read about this at http://www.pinzart.com/instruction.html.

If you need any more information or think we can help in any way, please call us or contact us at:

Back to Unusual, Unique, and Unexpected Uses of Perlite and Vermiculite Page