Hello! Welcome to my blog. I thought for my very first blog I would
write about where it all started for Joe, the creator of Glow Glass LLC.
What is the history of photo luminescence?
Around
1602, Vincenzo Casciorola of Bologna, discovered a translucent mineral
in fields near Monte Paterna, some 4 miles from Bologna, which when
calcined acquired the property of glowing in the dark after exposure to
sunlight. Casciorola originally called it the '
lapis solaris' as it appeared to store the light of the Sun. An account was later published by Fortunio Liceti
Litheosphorus, sive de lapide Bononiensi lucem, Utino,1640.
This substance appears to be barium sulphide. It was made
phosphorescent by being powdered very finely, calcined, then mixed with
water or white of egg and fashioned into small tablets, which were again
calcined at a high temperature in a furnace using bellows. It then was
capable of phosphorescing after being exposed to sunlight. It was called
the 'lapis illuminabilis' and attracted the interest of Athanasius
Kircher.
There were various kinds of this stone, some glowed like
the embers of a fire, others with the characteristic blue flame of
burning sulphur.
Most pigments just absorb certain light
wavelengths and reflect others, but our Glow Glass Powders also absorb
certain wavelengths and re-emit that light energy at different
wavelengths. That is, they use energy from the photons in light waves to
achieve a glow or “luminescence.” Thus, they are “photo luminescent.”
Normal pigments are “passive.” Because of above, our pigments are
considered “active.”
Joe has taken this history and created his
own pigments that are non-hazardous, non-toxic, non-radioactive,
non-carcinogenic, and non-flamable. If you would like to see what photo
luminescence has done to my world, take a look at Joes websites, and start lighting up your world!
Glow Glass LLC
Joe's Etsy Store
