Care

Although ceramic materials have a long longevity, they are very brittle, and can be chipped or cracked. A glaze is a kind of glass that permeates the ceramic clay material, and like all glass, it is susceptible to scratches, chips and breakage. The glaze is also very thin, so do not scratch it or use harsh or scratchy pads (like Brillo or SOS pads) on it.

Do not try to wash the art in a dishwasher. This is an uneven wash, and can damage your art. Use only a damp towel with a mild soap cleanser, or window cleaning liquid, to keep the art piece looking like it was just made.

Treat your art works with gentle tender loving care, and they will last many lifetimes.

Maintenance

The iridescent lustre glazes used on the art pieces are made up of base metals that include silver, gold, copper, bismuth and others. These metals will tarnish over time, like your silverware and copper pots. They must be treated and sometimes polished with a standard tarnish remover to restore their original brilliance.

Tarnish remover can be purchased at most supermarkets or hardware stores. Use Silver Polish for silver colored lustres, and Brass Polish for brass, copper, chrome, pewter, and bronze colored lusters.

Health

The ingredients used in all of the iridescent glazes exhibited and sold on this web site do not include lead. However, they do include other chemicals that may be a health hazard. Because these glazes are new, and because there are literally thousands of formulas and firing processes, they have not been individually tested for interactions with food. Therefore they are not recommended for use where there may be a food interaction.

How to Display Your Art

Iridescent lustre glazes change color when being viewed with different kinds of light. They also reflect other colors that are not the same as the base color of the piece. Indeed, they may reflect a whole rainbow of colors. The word etymology of the word "iridescence" comes from the Greek Goddess "Iris", who was the Goddess of the rainbow.

Natural light has more frequencies of color than other kinds of light. So it is best to show and view your art when it is next to a window that receives outdoor light, but not direct sunlight. Direct sunlight tends to temporarily bleach out the color, so you will not see its true beauty. The second best light with which to view your art is made by a Halogen bulb, then less effective is a fluorescent light, and least effective is an incandescent light.

The colors shown on the website are only pale approximations of the vibrant changing colors that each piece has when it reflects its surroundings in a natural environment. The pieces shown on this site were photographed outdoors at IraLand. Your environment will no doubt be different, and the colors will be different as they respond to this different context.