Stained glass is the colored glass used for making decorative windows and other objects through which light passes. Strictly speaking, all colored glass is considered stained or colored by the use of different metallic oxides while it is in its molten state. Nevertheless, the term stained glass has come to refer to the glass used in making pictorial or ornamental windows. There are several techniques used for making decorative stained glass: came glasswork, enameling, grisaille, and Jaune d'argent.
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Came Glasswork is the process of assembling hand-cut pieces of painted glass through the use of lead H came strips into picturesque designs in a framework of soldered metal. When all of the pieces have been placed together, the window is then cemented, cleaned, and supported as needed. The work may be made waterproof by applying a soft oily cement or mastic between the cames and the glass. A form of gilding and embellishment, such as Eglomise and Angel gilding, may be added to finish the piece.
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Enamelingis the process in which a glass surface is glazed with enamel, a glassy substance which may be either translucent or opaque. Glass may be enameled by sprinkling a loose powder on a flat surface, painting or printing slurry, or painting or stamping a binder and then sprinkling it with powder, which will adhere.
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Grisaille is a pictorial technique that uses nuances of the same color, in this particular case, gray. It is notably employed in painting, but equally in the art of making stained-glass windows, for which metal oxides are added, which, when fused to the glass, defines details in a stained glass window.
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Jaune d'argentis a color produced by cementation, in which glass and metal salts are heated and mixed. As its name indicates, Jaune d'argent (yellow of silver) is produced from silver with different nuances, much like grisaille.
Of all the techniques mentioned above, came glasswork is the most popular among the others. This technique has been widely used since the 12th century and even up to this date.
