Seven series, over 1,000 colors. Every one named on the charts.
Gold Vein Smalto & Oro Series · Metallic veining, and metal leaf sealed in glass. 20 colors.
Iridescent & Iridescent Plus Series · Surface that shifts with the light. 20 colors.
Translucent Series & Byzantine Smalti · Light passes through. Over 1,000 colors.
Photographed at actual size. Click any chart to open it full size.
Please note that some of the glass used in our custom mosaic artwork may need to be special ordered, so lead times vary by color. Our team secures the materials and keeps your schedule on track.
Handmade mosaic glass tile
How the glass is made
Craftsmanship and attention to detail are at the heart of every piece we make. Smalti is molten glass fused with metal oxides for color, poured out into flat discs, and then cooled slowly over many hours. That slow cooling is called annealing, and it is what relieves the stress in the glass so it can be cut without shattering. It is also why the color runs all the way through the tile instead of sitting on a surface glaze — a chipped edge is the same color as the face.
Which one outdoors? Both smalto and smalti weather identically, because in both the color is in the glass rather than on it. The difference is position, not durability. Smalto has an even face and cuts to a clean square, which suits waterline bands, large fields, and anywhere the eye reads a continuous surface. Smalti has an irregular, slightly pitted face that catches light from several angles at once, which is what makes it right for figurative work and focal panels. In a pool we generally use both — smalto for the field, smalti where the design has to hold attention.
Work in progress
Drawing of the Subject
At our custom mosaic artwork studio, each piece is meticulously crafted to meet the specific needs and vision of our clients. We begin by either creating a drawing or using one provided by the client, and then engage in a collaborative discussion to determine the desired style of the mosaic and the best medium to use. With careful consideration and attention to detail, we strive to bring each unique idea to life.
Designing and Making Mosaic Art
With the drawing in place, our skilled mosaicists carefully select the perfect colors to bring the design to life. The final result is a stunning mosaic created with the finest Smalti glass. This attention to detail and commitment to using only the highest quality materials sets our custom mosaic art apart and ensures each piece is a true work of art.
Smalti and smalto
Smalti is poured thick into flat cakes and cut up by hand. Smalto is our vitreous glass tile, set whole for fields, blends and geometric work. The two names are used interchangeably elsewhere in the trade — on our charts and quotes they mean these two different materials.
Smalti works
The picture to the left showcases the beauty of a mosaic created with Smalti glass. Smalti is poured thick into flat cakes, then broken and cut by hand into pieces around 3/8 inch, each one set as an individual tessera. With access to over 1,000 colors and tones in Smalti, the possibilities for creating truly unique and captivating pieces of mosaic art are endless. Let your imagination run wild and bring your vision to life with a custom-made Smalti mosaic from our studio.
Smalto works
The picture to the right showcases the stunning result of a complete pool project featuring Vitreous Glass Tile, also known as Smalto Glass. The versatile Smalto Glass was used to create all of the intricate designs in this pool, showcasing its versatility as a medium for mosaic art. Although the color options for Smalto Glass may be limited, there is still a vast array of hues to choose from, allowing us to bring your vision to life in any project, whether it be a pool, spa, kitchen, bathroom, or beyond.
Blends and gradients
A blend is several tones mixed across one field instead of a single flat color. In water that matters more than anywhere else — the surface moves and the light shifts through the day, so one color reads flat while a blend keeps changing. Every blend is drawn for its own project. None are taken from a pre-made pattern.
The most common is a graded transition: deep sapphire to pale aqua across a pool floor, or midnight blue to turquoise. We tile a small sample section for approval before full production.
Blends are mixed from the series above — Smalto for the body of a field, Translucent where light should pass through it, Iridescent where it should shift with the angle. Marble and Byzantine smalti go in where the design asks for them.
Finished work is mounted paper-faced and arrives in numbered sections to a keyed layout, ready for your tile setter.
Ordering
Seven series, over 1,000 colors. Every color is named on the charts above, photographed at actual size.
Once a project is confirmed we make a sample board for it, so the color is approved in your own light and your own water before anything goes into production.
See mosaic blends and gradients for color transitions. Installation standards for pool tile are published by the Tile Council of North America. Contact us to talk through a project.
Begin your commission
Send the details of your project, or call (323) 389-5347. Studio hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and Saturday, 9am to 1pm, Pacific.