Oracle Black from Double Helix Glass

Trudi 

The first thing I did when I received this glass was to label it, as it just looks like any other black! So I labelled it with a pen and I also put some washi tape on one end so that I can immediately spot it on my bench! Note, when you pull this inro stringers you will see that this is more of a deep saturated blue. (One way to tell this apart!).

Also important note from DH - For maximum opacity, particularly in thin applications, briefly cool the bead then lightly flame strike (30 seconds) before annealing for 2 hours or more at 950F.

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The notes that Double Helix have on their website did say that this black was reactive with lustre glass ... so I was a bit excited to see what it would do. Not wanting to waste any, I made a core with CiM Tuxedo and encased with Oracle. The bead on the left had bands of Triton around the middle with some Aurae frit. As soon as this went in the flame I could see a reaction around the sides, it reminds me a little of working with copper green but nicer! After I melted it in, it really just had a quick reduction! I love the purples that came out and the side reaction.

The second bead, was made with just Aurae frit, and you can see the halo rim where the two colours meet. The third was Helios, a little reaction, but not as dramatic.

This is certainly one to really have a play with to see what reactions you can get!

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I use Reichenbach's Deep Black a lot for very very fine stringer, so I wanted to see how Oracle would compare. With the very fine stringer it was quite hazy and not as saturated. If you look at the spots, a quick glance they look fine, but a close look and you can see the edges are not as crisp as Deep Black. These were made on CiM Peace.

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Now to see it on Effetre Clear (006). When I initially saw the Oracle bead, I did think it was black. Then as I set up the picture I could see more deep navy blue, especially reflecting through from the other side.

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I wanted to see if Oracle would web at all. So with a hair fine stringer I wound it on Effetre clear, super heated it with an oxygen rich flame and marvered before heating again. As you can see it did fuzz a little but is a definite blue.

My last bead was to try white dots on the surface. I used CiM Peace as I find this more saturated than Effetre white. As you can see the white has a halo effect, and you can see blue inner circles. It reminds me of Runino in this way, maybe it has some spreading tendencies?

So for me, this black isn't one to replace my Deep Black for fine lines. But I am quite intrigued to play more with mixing it with some lustre colours to see what reactions I can get.

Juliette Mullett of Avette Glass

30.01.2018

Double Helix Oracle-Black

• In rod form it looks black, held up to the light it looks a dark cobalt blue, similar to Triton. Melts nicely, no spitting or boiling.

• Overall findings - A good black for raised dots, as a solid black base and looks more black over colours as opposed to underneath colours if used

thinly. Looks more blue than black on some colours and some cracking and peeling experienced with Effetre Turquoise opaque in this test. Overall

I love this colour, I like it’s diversity of colours and hues that are achievable. The blues that it does sometimes give are beautiful and I wouldn’t

consider this a flaw as it offers flexibility of a wide range of hues that can be achieved. I loved it’s reactions with Multicolor and Fire Lotus and am in

awe of the ‘new colour’ I was able to achieve with Antique ivory and silverglass over Oracle-Black. A glass that will be staple in my work ongoing.

the edges of the dots of Oracle-Black and the edging of the swirl. I would like to test more scenarios of Turquoise and Oracle -Black to see if the

peeling and cracking is consistent each time.

Range Plus Torch and 10lpm Oxycon.

1. Effetre White core, Oracle-Black raised dots - A nice deep, true black with no bleed, as expected.

2. Effetre White core, Oracle-Black swirls melted in - The Oracle-Black here looks like a very dark ink blue. The edges of the Oracle-Black look

blurry with an outline of a slightly paler ink blue hue. I actually like this effect.

3. CiM Peace core, Oracle-Black dots melted in - The Oracle-Black here looks like a very dark ink blue. The edges of the Oracle-Black look blurry.

4. Oracle-Black hand mixed with Effetre White. I hand blended these 2 colours then wound the gather onto the heated mandrel. Encased in Effetre

Super Clear 006. End result after annealing is a cobalt blue and white looking streaky bead, beautiful in colour but no sign of black.

5. Oracle-Black hand mixed with Effetre White over a clear core. I hand blended these 2 colours together. A clear core of Effetre Super Clear 006

was used as the base colour then the hand mixed blend applied over that. Encased in Effetre Super Clear 006. End result after annealing is a

cobalt blue and white looking streaky bead, beautiful in colour but no sign of black.

6. Oracle-Black hand mixed with Effetre White then applied to the heated mandrel. After annealing looked like cobalt blue and white mixed.

7. Effetre Turquoise Opaque with hand blend of Oracle-Black and Effetre White. A base bead of Turquoise with the hand blend swirled over the top.

No sign of black, cracking and peeling around the hand blend mix outline.

8. Effetre Turquoise Opaque with Oracle-Black dots. Base of Turquoise with Oracle-Black dots melted in. Dots looked crisp and clean, nice deep,

sharp solid black. Cracking and peeling visible and could be felt. Cracking and peeling indicative of incompatibility as it followed the shape of the

dots.

9. Effetre Super Clear 006 core with Oracle-Black dots melted in. Dots look like cobalt blue with slight fuzzing around the edges of the dots.