Galena (or Pewter) Mirrors
Galena mirrors are dark - the color of tarnished pewter,
polished hematite or the "lead" in a lead pencil. On smooth
glass, the color is quiet and sophisticated. It is more
dramatic on textured glass. The mosaic table-top at the
left illustrates the difference.
Changing colors
Galena chemicals change color as they deposit - from brown
to purple to blue to gray to black. You can capture this
change if you watch carefully and pour the chemicals off
the glass at just the right time. The effect is more
noticeable on textured glass.
What is galena?
Galena is an ancient name for lead sulfide - the chemical
that forms on the glass when you create a galena mirror. Lead
and lead sulfide are poisonous
only if you take them
into your body. They do not emit odors or fumes. Use common
sense, wear rubber gloves and store your chemicals out of the
reach of children, pets and other curious visitors.
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Galena mirrors:
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Require two sensitizers - Tin for Gold and
Palladium Sensitizer
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Can be deposited over gold or "flashed" silver; see
the Metal Layers page for details
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Contain sulfur which tarnishes silver
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Work very well on sandblasted glass; the color
looks like wrought iron
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Reflect 35% of the available light
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To make Galena mirrors, you will need:
