Overglazes refer to a group of lusters and metallics applied to a previously glazed and fired surface. When fired, yield the brilliance of gold metallic, white gold metallic, and a rainbow of luster hues, like that of a pearl.
Bright Gold, White Gold, Premium Gold are real precious metals applied to fired glazed ware as the final finish. Mother-of-Pearl is a translucent overglaze with a lustrous iridescence. Essence is a must-have cleaning solution for all of your brushes and tools used with Overglazes.
Gold overglazes are opaque, with the brilliance of 22-karat yellow gold or white gold. The appearance of each overglaze is determined by the glaze the overglaze is applied over (ex. when applied over a gloss glaze, the overglaze will be shiny; a matte glaze, the overglaze will be dull). Gold Overglazes are normally applied over a fired glaze but can also be applied to unglazed high-fired porcelain or stoneware bisque. If applied over unglazed porcelain and stoneware the appearance is extremely matte. For ease of application, each brush-on overglaze is tinted with its own special color. Premium Gold has a red tint, Bright Gold has a brown tint, and White Gold has a green tint.
Mother-of-Pearl is a metallic compound that is applied as a final finish over fired glazes that are compatible with overglazes. Mother-of-Pearl is a translucent overglaze with a lustrous iridescence, and creates an iridescent look when properly applied and fired. Its appearance is determined by the glaze that the luster is applied over (applied over gloss glaze = shiny overglaze; applied over matte glaze = dull overglaze). For ease of application, each brush-on overglaze is tinted with its own special color. Mother-of-Pearl has a blue tint. Use Mayco’s White Handled OB-9011 1/4 Shader Mother-of-Pearl Brush.
OA901 Essence is used to thin overglazes, or re-wet dried out
overglazes on brushes or inside the bottle. Other cleaning
agents may contain water or solvents, resulting in the
separation of overglaze during subsequent applications. You
can clean brush in Essence and let dry, but it is wasteful to
throw away gold. So, when done lustering, wrap the brush in
foil, when you need to use it a few drops of Essence will bring
the luster back.
We’ve captured the timeless, iridescent beauty of precious gold and everyone’s favorite gemstone and transformed it into overglazes, ideal for making your work look like a million bucks.
Gold Overglaze Application
Mother-of-Pearl Overglaze Application
Essence Application
Troubleshooting
Overglazes are non-toxic after firing. Work in a well-ventilated area when applying to your piece. Overglazes are dinnerware safe but ware decorated with gold overglazes should not be used in microwave ovens.
Overglazes can be used on surfaces that come into contact with food and drink. Care must be taken to avoid hard scrubbing when washing overglazed ware, because of the possibility of scraping off the thin layer of gold or mother of pearl. Treat your overglazed pieces as you would fine china. Although overglazed ware will take repeated washings in a dishwasher, the overglaze will eventually wear away.