How is crushed opal tubing made

Only Gilsson created opals are able to be used in glass.  Any other opal will burn out or just fail.

There are many ways a blower will make tubing.

Crushed opal tubing with frit

1. Heats up a slug of glass
2. Drop in the crushed opal and let it stick to the glass.
3. Drop-in some frit to have the opal end up layering in between the glass slug and the frit.
4. Melt it down and you have some crushed opal tubing

Crushed opal sleeve

1. The blower prepares an open-ended slug, usually 45mm or 50mm and leaves it in the kiln till later
2. The blower makes a colored tube.
3. The blower lays down some crushed opal in a frit tray and rolls the hot colored tubing in it, having the crushed opal stick to the colored tubing.
4. The blowers insert this colored tube with opals into the pre-opened slug
5. The blower then sleeves the colored/opal tube with the open slug
6. When done the blower has a tube of colored/opal tubing with clear glass on the outside.