A Brief History of Glass Making

Glass is something that we see everyday.  Whether it’s on our car windshields, our windows, or on our desks/furniture glass is something that we in the modern world take for granted.  In the ancient world however, glass was a marvelous and rare product reserved for only the wealthiest people.  Glass making dates as far back as 3000 B.C. and below is a brief timeline of glass making starting from the beginning:

3000 B.C. – Mesopotamia – Glass Making Begins

Although it is true that primitive man used natural occurring forms of glass (such as tektites & obsidian) to create tools, the first traces of glass creation date back to ancient Mesopotamia.  It then traveled quickly to surrounding areas of the world such as Africa, Asia, & Greece where it evolved in various ways depending on their unique cultures.

650 B.C. – Assyria – The First Glass Making Manual is Found

Having been practiced for thousands of years, a formal manual has been found that dates back to ancient Assyria where the process detailed was much more tedious and costly than our current standards.

100 B.C. – Syria – Glass Blowing is Invented

Somewhere around the 1st Century there was a major revolution in glass making.  Glass blowing was a method invented in Syria which forever changed how glass was distributed and used.  With this new technique glass could be made quickly and cheaply, making glass more widespread and common in many various different forms.  To this day glass blowing remains one of the main forms of glass creation.

100 AD – Rome – Glass is First Used in Architecture

With the advent of clear glass in Alexandria glass was now beginning to be used for architectural purposes, such as windows.  This spread quickly all over Europe and by the 14th century there was a bustling glass industry which continues to this day.

1950 – Great Britain – Float Glass Method of Glass Making is Pioneered

The most recent major development in the glass making industry is the development of the “float” method of glass production invented by Sir Alastair Pilkington.  He honed this method over 7 years and it has now become the most used form of industrial glass creation worldwide.  Although many glass craftsman still use other methods for glass creation and production.

There you have it! A brief history of glass making which has brought us to the modern day era.  CGD utilizes the most advanced methods for custom glass creation available and we’d like to think that we are at the forefront of creative glass products in our time.

Glass Backsplashes Have Endless Possibilities!

Backsplashes are one of the areas of a kitchen that can make a big design impact on a low budget.  CGD Glass specializes in some very unique and special forms of glass backsplashes that can re-create and re-invent many different styles.  From solid colors, clear glass, & full art work displays to textured surfaces with backlit LED lighting, the possibilities really are endless!  Let’s take a tour of some of our unique glass backsplash creations, some fully designed by our clients & created by us, while others are fully created/designed by us.

#1 – Backpainted Color Backsplash

The above backsplash is a representation of a simple countertop with backpainted glass

#2 – Custom Colored Backsplash with Mosaic Patterns

The above backsplash is a great example of our versatility, this countertop features unique mosaic patterns inserted directly into the glass

#3 – Custom Color & Textured Backsplash

This backsplash was designed and created to match the feel of the current kitchen set-up with custom colors and textures.

#4 – Custom Texture/Etching & Colored Backsplash

A unique combination of our “antique” color and our “forum” texture sets this backsplash apart.

#5 – Custom Backsplash with Unique Beauty

Looking for something modern? This backsplash is a beautiful combo of our aqua clear glass, melting ice texture, & LED backlighting

#6 – Custom Painted & Textured Backsplash

Another fantastic example of how backpainted glass with melting ice texture can create a very unique backsplash!

As you can see, the type of backsplash we can create is only limited to your creativity!  For more info on our unique glass backsplashes contact us today!

Review of our Unique Glass Textures & Surface Treatments

Here at CGD we have a large collection of different textures and surface treatments that can be performed on virtually any piece of glass you order from us.  Surface treatments can be added directly onto textures thus adding an extra element to the uniqueness of every one of our glass pieces.

TEXTURES

Textures affect the surface of the glass adding a unique organic look and feel.  CGD has the largest variety of textures for glass anywhere and our most popular is our “melting ice” texture shown below in both regular and semi-frost:

MELTING ICE

MELTING ICE “SEMI-FROST”

These only begin to scratch the surface of our different textures.  Below is a list of some of our textures:

SURFACE TREATMENTS

Surface Treatments can be added on top of textures or can be applied to glass which have no texture.  These treatments expound the organic feel of the product and display elegance at its finest.  Our most popular surface treatment is our “White Onyx” treatment which provides a matte finish and looks brilliant with LED back-lighting.  Check out how it looks below:

WHITE ONYX

Check out our full list of surface treatments below:

If you’d like any more info on textures or surface treatments contact us today!