Matching Glass: A Dilema

I was contacted by a company that does architectural restorations to replicate some glass knobs. These are basically just gigantoid beads with a 1/4" hole. The bugger weighs in at 1.5oz.


So, this part is not really the problem....the problem is matching the glass color.



I took out my sample cuts and we found a pretty darn good color (horizontal rod)....but I was out of stock (even if I had some....it would have been less than 1/2 lb) What are the chances if I order a pound of the color...that it would be slightly darker than my cut...and be a perfect match? Aparently pretty slim.



The batch came in a tad lighter! boo hoo. I can't do the job. I was a good girl and went ahead and made sample beads out of each of the rods to show the clients.

I almost had a different, coo-lio solution.....I still had flat glass out from Sunday's fusing class. There was a beautiful piece of medium turk sitting right there!!! On the table!!! Right in front of me!!!! Being all matchy matchy to the bead even!!!

I cut off a strip and went to the torch with it....ehh...I cut the thing too wide...it was very hard to heat evenly...plus I reduced it and brought up some copper color (that won't do at all!!!) I tried again with a thinner strip...that went much better....and only a tiny spot of reduction. When the beads cooled....drat...the torch struck it two shades darker.... what a bummer. I was so hoping to be a rock star on this project.


color matching...ehh...can't we all just agree to coordinate?