What Glass Alchemy does

Glass Alchemy is a family-owned manufacturer of colored borosilicate glass rods and frit for the lampworking art glass industry, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The company produces over 150 distinct color formulations organized into multiple product sub-brands: First-Gen Transparents, Classic Rod and Frit, Next-Gen Transparents, NEO-CADs (cadmium-based), Small Batch, and Thomas' Test Lab, spanning color families including cobalt series, crayon colors, passion/striking colors, silver-bearing reactive colors, sparkle colors, and water-fade opaques. Products are sold in two quality grades — First Quality and GA-OK (seconds) — across rod and frit formats, with per-pound pricing ranging from approximately $29 to $84 depending on color and grade.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model via Shopify (glassalchemy.com), supplemented by an authorized reseller network and worldwide shipping through UPS and USPS. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales, supplemented by digital gift cards ($25 to $5,000 denominations) and a Makers Alliance Membership loyalty program. The company is currently in its second generation of family ownership under siblings Thomas Grimmett and Jodi Grimmett, who assumed leadership from founders Henry Grimmett and Susan Webb-Grimmett. Marketing is conducted through organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) and per-color technical documentation authored by Mike Shelbo, positioning Glass Alchemy as a specialist supplier to professional and hobbyist lampworking artists globally.

Name

Glass Alchemy

Legal name

Glass Alchemy

Website

https://glassalchemy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Glass Alchemy is a family-owned Portland, Oregon manufacturer of colored borosilicate glass rods and frit for lampworking artists, producing 150+ color formulations sold directly via Shopify e-commerce and through authorized resellers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lampworking Art Glass Supplies

NAICS

Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing (32721)

SIC

Glass & Glassware, Pressed Or Blown (3220)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Decorative Glass Packaging (Custom Shapes, Embossed, Premium) (IMALAEAE)

Keywords

• Colored borosilicate glass
• Lampworking glass rods
• Glass frit products
• Art glass colorants
• Borosilicate glass supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Glass Alchemy generates revenue through the sale of colored borosilicate glass rods and frit products. Products are sold in various forms (First Quality, GA-OK grade) and weights. They also sell Clear Frit made from 100% crushed Simax.
2. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations from $25 to $5,000. Gift cards are valid for 12 months and delivered via email.
3. Makers Alliance Membership: Loyalty membership program where customers can redeem points (5,000 points earned) for membership benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Glass Alchemy manufactures and sells colored borosilicate glass rods and frit designed for lampworking artists. Products are offered in First Quality and GA-OK (seconds) grades across multiple color families including cadmium colors, cobalt series, silver-bearing, striking, sparkle, opaque, and transparent formulations. The company also sells digital gift cards, branded merchandise, and operates a points-based Makers Alliance loyalty membership.

Product overview

Glass Alchemy is a family-owned manufacturer of colored borosilicate glass for lampworking, founded in 2000 and now in its second generation of family ownership. The product portfolio centers on colored glass rods and frit in two primary formats (rod and frit) across multiple product sub-brands: First-Gen Transparents (foundational transparent colors), Classic Rod and Frit (established palette), Next-Gen Transparents (improved modern formulations), NEO-CADs (specialized cadmium colors), Small Batch (limited experimental colors), and Thomas' Test Lab (innovative test colors). The company offers over 150 distinct color formulations including Cobalt Series (light to dark blues), Crayon Colors (opaque cadmiums), Passion Colors (striking effects), Silver Colors (reactive metals), Sparkle Colors, Water Fade Colors (opaque blues and greens), and specialty colors. Individual color products like Dragon's Eye, Dragon's Blood, Amazon Night, and Paparazzi represent specific formulations within these collections. Additional offerings include merchandise, an outlet for discounted items, and digital gift cards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Borosilicate Glass Rods Colored borosilicate glass rods manufactured by Glass Alchemy for lampworking artists, sold in First Quality and GA-OK (seconds) grades across more than 150 color formulations including cadmium colors, the Cobalt Series, silver-bearing colors, striking colors, sparkle colors, and opaque/transparent options. Each color ships in rod or multi-rod bundles priced by weight (per pound, per 1/4 lb, or per 3-rod pack).
• Borosilicate Glass Frit Crushed borosilicate glass frit offered in multiple grade sizes (25, 38, 70, 82, 100) for lampworking applications, including Clear Frit produced from 100% Simax. Sold in jars (e.g., 3 rods/4 oz jar) or by the pound, covering the same cadmium, cobalt, silver-bearing, striking, sparkle, opaque, and transparent color families as the rod catalog.
• Glass Alchemy Gift Card Digital gift card redeemable on glassalchemy.com in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $750, $1,000, and $5,000, valid for 12 months and delivered by email.
• GA Merch Glass Alchemy branded merchandise sold through the company's online storefront for customers and lampworking enthusiasts.
• Makers Alliance Membership Loyalty membership program where repeat customers can redeem 5,000 earned points for membership benefits tied to Glass Alchemy purchases.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify hosts Glass Alchemy's e-commerce platform, providing the online store infrastructure, payment processing, and data storage. Shopify stores customer data securely on servers behind a firewall and handles PCI-DSS compliance for credit card processing.
• Payment Gateways (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processors that handle credit card transactions. Glass Alchemy uses direct payment gateways that adhere to PCI-DSS standards. Credit card data is encrypted using SSL and stored with AES-256 encryption.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bullseye Glass Co. Large specialty art-glass maker focused primarily on soda-lime sheet, frit, and stringer for kilnforming; an adjacent incumbent serving overlapping studio and artist customers.
• Trautman Art Glass: Parent/umbrella for Northstar and other art-glass lines; broader specialty glass portfolio beyond borosilicate color rods, including tools and studio supplies.

Direct peers

• Momka's Glass: Russian-origin colored borosilicate glass brand widely used by lampworking artists; competes directly on boro color rods, frit, and striking/silver palettes.
• Olympic Color Rods: Manufacturer of colored borosilicate rods for soft glass and boro lampworking with overlapping SKUs and similar DTC distribution to artists.
• Cascade Color (Crawford Glass): Producer of colored borosilicate rod used by flameworkers; offers a comparable specialty color catalog aimed at the same artist segment.
• Double Helix Glassworks: Specialty boro glass maker known for striking and silver-reactive colors; competes in the same high-end artist channel and DTC e-commerce motion as Glass Alchemy.
• Northstar Glass (Trautman Art Glass): Long-established US manufacturer of colored borosilicate rods and frit for lampworking; most direct head-to-head competitor with overlapping cobalt, silver, and striking color lines.
• TAG (Tight Ass Glass): Manufacturer of borosilicate color rods and frit for lampworking, with overlapping DTC and wholesale distribution into the same artist community.

Others

• Kavalier (Simax): Czech borosilicate glass maker whose crushed clear rod is used by Glass Alchemy for its Clear Frit line; upstream/adjacent supplier within the same material category.
• Wale Apparatus: Manufacturer of lampworking torches, lathe equipment, and accessories; serves the same lampworking artist customer base with complementary (non-glass) supplies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClTL8QQrHTDMVll3etpquiA
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlassAlchemy
• Instagraminstagram.com/GlassAlchemy
• Xx.com/glassalchemy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glass-alchemy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Glass Alchemy