A short history of glass: It's been said that human-made glass first appeared in ancient Mesopotamia, around 3000 B.C. where glass fusion was used for constructing tools. Another story says that the Phoenicians are credited with this amazing discovery according to Pliny the Elder. The legend states that some Phoenician seamen set about the task of preparing the evening meal. Being unable to find rocks to set their cooking pots on they obtained some cakes of NATRUM (sub-carbonate of soda) from the ships cargo & placed their pots on them which were sitting on some sand on the beach. The heat from the fire caused the Natrum & sand to melt. This made a stream of unknown fluid, which hardened into a transluent substance later known as.... GLASS... Sounds good to me!!
Glass has no definite melting point or freezing point...... As you heat glass, it becomes more fluid, and as it cools, it becomes increasingly rigid. It is now considered to be a supercooled liquid..at room temperature it acts as a solid. Whatever the source of invention, by Roman times, works of fused and sculpted glass were a prized possession. Today, you can find glass artists all over the world, be they stained glass artists, flameworkers (glass bead makers), fused (kiln-fired pieces) glass artists, glass blowers or any other form of glass artist... I am very fortunate and lucky to be able to satisfy my artist side by doing the things I love!!
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