Acid Etching

A process for the making of cameo glass. A vessel of two or more layers of cased glass has a design drawn onto it which is then covered with a layer of protective varnish. The piece is immersed in hydrofluoric acid, which attacks the exposed parts not protected by the varnish and forms the desired pattern. Prolonged immersion deepens the design and different parts of the vessel may be worked on by changing the position of the protective varnish. This technique creates the cameo design and may be finished by polishing or supplemented with wheel carved details before the final polish. It can also be used to block out a basic design for a more elaborate technique.