The Iron Glaze Gallery

      This gallery contains pottery glazed with glazes which all contain various forms of iron oxide as the main (or only) mineral supplying color. It is the most common colorant in pottery glazes, and can give yellows, rust reds, browns, blacks, blues, greens, and grays. We formulate and make our glazes which makes them unique to our work * .
       The oxides (differing amounts of oxygen in combination with atoms of iron) give different colors when mixed with different types of glazes in amounts as low as 1/2 % to as high as 10%. Too much iron will usually supersaturate a glaze which cannot thoroughly combine with all the excess iron and cause it to percipitate (fall) out forming either interesting metallic areas or crystallize on cooling.
       The Chinese of the Sung Dynasty relied heavily on iron for the various colors it could give. This range is largely due to iron's ability to dissolve in a molten glass, which is what a glaze is when heated. The quantity, and amount of iron in the glaze, type of iron, and the kind of atmosphere during the firing in the kiln determine the color it gives.
(* Our glazes Do Not   contain lead)

Click on an image to see a larger view and description of the piece.