Glass Rondel

Rondels are mouth-blown pieces of art glass that have been spun into circular shapes, often irregular.  These little works of art make great accents for window panels, suncatchers, or can be used as wind chimes. Each hand crafted rondel's size will vary slightly due to their hand made nature.

	# KR-500-4	4" Red/Orange Rondel	# KR-500-4    $ 9.49 Quantity
	# KR-800-3	3.25" Clear Rondel	# KR-800-3    $ 6.29 Quantity

How Rondels are Made

Genuine rondels are made in approximately 2 1/2" to 4 3/4" in size. Variations in diameter of +/- 3/16" are inevitable because of the individual handmade production. The thickness will also vary within one piece. The heavier center, call the "navel" (which at times may be sharp) is approximately 3/16" thick with the surrounding glass approx. 1/8" in thickness.

To create a rondel, molten glass is taken from a furnace with a blowpipe. The amount of the glass gather determines the eventual size in the rondel. The molten glass is blown out into a small bubble. The circumference of the bubble is the second important factor determining the final size to be produced. The production of a uniform, high quality rondel depends on the skill and experience of the "rondel master".

The small, still hot, ball of glass will now be attached to a pontil rod and broken from the blowpipe, causing the characteristic "navel". After reheating, the glass is opened with a pair of shears. Using a special technique, the rondel master then folds the edges, lending strength to the rondel, making it more workable. By spinning the glass, a small, round rondel is formed. After reaching the desired size, the rondel is tapped off the pontil rod and slowly cooled in an annealing oven.

Example of Project using Rondels