Dichroic Glass is an amazing material developed for the aerospace industry but discovered by warm glass artists. The brilliance of dichroic glass must be experienced first hand. Dichroic is defined as the property of having more than one colour, especially when viewed from different angles or from transmitted to reflected light. Even when viewed at slight angles, you will see a variety of different colours. The brilliance of dichroic glass in sunlight and artifical light is nothing short of remarkable. Dichroic glass appears one colour when light shines through it and another colour when seen by reflected light. It is this property of simultaneously transmitting and reflecting light that creates an effect similar to the iridescence seen in fire opal, the wings of the dragonfly.

Dichroic-coated glass is produced by a process called 'thin film physics' and is generally referred to as a colour separator. It's normally used as an interference filter in scientific measuring or correcting applications. This involves a process of depositing many very thin layers of metallic oxides, such as titanium, silicon and magnesium, upon the surface of the glass. The glass is then placed in a vacuum chamber and bombarded by a laser. This beam vaporises some of the material, which then coats on the sheet of glass.