I’m old enough to remember before digital cameras when we had to take our film to be developed at the chemist. You were given the choice between satin or glossy finish, I always chose glossy but now I think I would probably choose satin. My latest Love Heart Necklaces are the same, some are satin finish and some are glossy.

When my lampwork beads are annealed (cooled) and come out of the kiln the glass is naturally glossy, unless I’ve rolled them in baking soda but that’s another post altogether. To achieve the satin matte finish requires another step, I either etch them in a special etching fluid that removes the very top, shiny layer of glass or I tumble them in a rotating barrel with silicone carbide and water. which mimics the action of the sea and sand on sea glass. They have their own pros and cons which I won’t bore you with but the results are pretty identical.

My daughter loves the shiny finish and often asks me to leave the glass in it’s natural state but I think lots of colours and designs benefit from taking some of the shine off. The satin finish is more subtle, it’s tactile and can really accentuate the details. Of course sometimes I give them a satin finish and it’s like yikes! that’s ruined! what was I thinking? but mostly they look great.

Which do you prefer?

Both of these teal heart are available in the shop , click the button below to buy one.