The bigger the build, the harder it is to make. Any technique can be mastered, but to master
Gilson opals work great. Cubic Zirconia also works well, but with glass on the outside, the synthetic diamond loses that sparkle. Moldavites
While vermiculite will not allow perfect annealing, it is good enough to allow the glass to be and not crack. The larger the glass, the more dangerous it is to let it cool. Some people bench cool their work.
Yes, you can dot stack by fuming, and then using clear and or even black sometimes.
Luster is a chemical and even sometimes fine glass. When a chemical luster is used, it is very dangerous to breath, so Elev8 Premier stays away from it.
Nothing really. Some things have to be done by hand, but if you can use a lathe, why would you not? Tools are amazing!
Not really. Glass melts at such a high temperature that a 60 or 80 degree difference would not effect anything.
Quartz is quartz Quality comes down to the build. Many times it is OK to fuse a seal with quartz, but if you want quality, it must be welded, like the do with boro. The issue is that quartz melts at a higher temperature as well as creates a lot of bloom that has to …
No, borosilicate has boron and other minerals added. Only quartz glass is pure fused silica.
It all comes down to what the artist wants.