How much did that gold cost and how did they get it so thin?

Metals are malleable, which means they can be flattened out and remain together. Metallic bonding in gold atoms allows for this property, and artists have found a nice usage for it. If you want to know about metallic bonding, try this Khan video in the chemistry section: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/periodic-table-trends-bonding/v/ionic--covalent--and-metallic-bonds This YouTube video shows someone making the gold leaf material http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QyXiHvFScQ

What would happen if you accidentally touch the melted, hot glass? I'm assuming it's not a pretty picture.

Molten glass is ~2000ºF. It would cause severe damage before you could even stop it. Even if you submerge the finger with glass on it into cool water, the heat from the glass would make the water boil instantly for almost a minute before cracking off. I've accidentally touched metal tools after working and even dropped already hardened "cold" glass on my pants before and that was very ugly.

If I was working with glass, I would be scared that I would get burned. So how do these professional glass makers do it?

The rod is long and they don't feel the heat coming out of the furnace and the glass cools enough when taken out of the furnace that they don't feel the heat when using the tools

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Course: The J. Paul Getty Museum > Unit 2

Lesson 1: Ancient glassmaking

Glassmaking technique: gold glass

Name: Glassmaking technique: gold glass
Uploaded: 2013-10-28T17:45:57Z
Description: Gold glass is made by sealing gold foil between layers of glass. In the 1500s, circular gold glass was found in the walls of ancient Roman tombs (footage from the Corning Museum of Glass).

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Gold glass is made by sealing gold foil between layers of glass. In the 1500s, circular gold glass was found in the walls of ancient Roman tombs (footage from the Corning Museum of Glass). Created by Getty Museum.

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TJudd
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to TJudd's post “How much did that gold co...”
How much did that gold cost and how did they get it so thin?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on TJudd's post “How much did that gold co...”
(9 votes)
Answer
- Calefornia
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Calefornia's post “Metals are malleable, whi...”
  Metals are malleable, which means they can be flattened out and remain together. Metallic bonding in gold atoms allows for this property, and artists have found a nice usage for it. If you want to know about metallic bonding, try this Khan video in the chemistry section:
  https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/periodic-table-trends-bonding/v/ionic--covalent--and-metallic-bonds
  This YouTube video shows someone making the gold leaf material
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QyXiHvFScQ
  Button navigates to signup page
  (4 votes)
Victoria Chen
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Victoria Chen's post “What would happen if you ...”
What would happen if you accidentally touch the melted, hot glass? I'm assuming it's not a pretty picture.
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(4 votes)
Answer
- Kellie
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Kellie's post “Molten glass is ~2000ºF. ...”
  Molten glass is ~2000ºF. It would cause severe damage before you could even stop it. Even if you submerge the finger with glass on it into cool water, the heat from the glass would make the water boil instantly for almost a minute before cracking off. I've accidentally touched metal tools after working and even dropped already hardened "cold" glass on my pants before and that was very ugly.
  Comment on Kellie's post “Molten glass is ~2000ºF. ...”
  (3 votes)
Trevor O'Neal
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to Trevor O'Neal's post “how lond does a cup usual...”
how lond does a cup usually take to finish
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(3 votes)
Answer
kusai.contractor
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to kusai.contractor's post “If I was working with gla...”
If I was working with glass, I would be scared that I would get burned.
So how do these professional glass makers do it?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(2 votes)
Answer
- Humam Al-Fdeilat
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Humam Al-Fdeilat's post “The rod is long and they ...”
  The rod is long and they don't feel the heat coming out of the furnace and the glass cools enough when taken out of the furnace that they don't feel the heat when using the tools
  Button navigates to signup page
  (2 votes)
Light Runner
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Light Runner's post “Why would they use a ston...”
Why would they use a stone? The glass could break! Is there any other object they could use instead of a stone?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Light Runner's post “Why would they use a ston...”
(2 votes)
Answer
Yuvrender
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Yuvrender's post “why stone is used to smoo...”
why stone is used to smoothen the rim instead of remoulding and reshaping, that would provide it with better edges
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(2 votes)
Answer
Allison N.
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Allison N.'s post “If the second piece of gl...”
If the second piece of glass is not placed flush/straight onto the prepared base, can they be separated (by heating?), or must one start the process over?
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(1 vote)
Answer
- Mark Johnson
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Mark Johnson's post “After cooling the base mi...”
  After cooling the base might fall off and break off or before reheating it if you don't push down enough the base might fall into the furnace. )-;
  Button navigates to signup page
  (1 vote)

Video transcript

- [voiceover] Gold glass is made by sealing gold foil between two layers of glass. The process begins with the creation of a base disk. Glass is inflated at the end of a blow pipe and the bottom of the bubble is flattened. After cooling, a scratch is made along the side. The scratched area is heated until a crack forms to separate the top from the base. Adhesive is painted on the base and gold foil is applied. A sharp tool is used to create decorative patterns in the gold. When the decoration is complete the disk is placed in an annealing oven. A second glass bubble is inflated and held upward to form a spheroid. The glass is reheated and carefully lowered onto the decorated base disk. The two parts are reheated so that they're fully fused and placed into an annealing oven to cool. The vessel is scratched, heated, and cracked off to form the rim. Finally, a stone is used to smooth the rim.