Talk:Smalt

The article describes Smalt as being colored blue but in the picture its shown as yellow. Seems a little inconsistent. If it can be yellow, the article should mention that, if not then the picture is wrong and should be replaced. 118.208.128.184 (talk) 06:44, 30 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Maybe the author meant the coloured glass in the middle, rather than the yellow paint on the surrounding wall. It is still not a good picture to illustrate a blue colour because the camera flash has reflected off the glass/gold and hasn't really brought out the colour of the glass at all.  Astronaut (talk) 19:49, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Dyeing with glass
How can you dye or launder anything with powdered glass? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.113.159.156 (talk) 18:24, 3 November 2009 (UTC)
 * You can't. The dye and painting cobalt dye uses are a different compound, cobalt blue. This is made from cobalt oxide and alumina, whereas cobalt glass (smalt) is made from cobalt oxide, an alkali, and silica (smelted together into a glass). S  B Harris 19:45, 17 November 2010 (UTC)
 * That was my point, but I'm glad to see someone fixed it in the article. 16:02, 14 December 2010 (UTC)

Merge with cobalt glass?
There are some nice photos there but little info. All this needs to go one place or another, with a redirect from the other. S B Harris 19:55, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

Your suggestion to merge the "smalt" article with the "cobalt glass" article is logical (since smalt is just powdered cobalt glass which is used as a pigment). However, the article on cobalt glass is even skimpier than the article on smalt. The article on cobalt glass needs more information: Where and when was it first produced? Which specific compounds are used to make it? What are its uses? Etc. First improve the article on cobalt glass, then add a section on smalt, with a redirect -- and perhaps some better photographs of smalt used in paintings, frescos, etc. Cwkmail (talk) 03:47, 1 January 2011 (UTC)


 * The fact that an article has too little information in it is no argument not to take what information it HAS, and stick it into another article. No information is deleted in a good merge. If the Cobalt glass article has too little information, that's a separate problem, one that can be treated tomorrow-- or in 10 years (wikipedia isn't finished yet ;)). It's absolutely no reason to wait on the merge. And ONCE AGAIN, I don't care if the merged article is called Cobalt glass or Smalt. I think, on thinking about it, that I'd prefer the first, since most people have never heard of smalt. It can be redirected to Cobalt glass for those who do search for it. S  B Harris 22:04, 1 January 2011 (UTC)

I'd support this merge. Smalt seems to be a use of cobalt glass, so merge smalt into cobalt glass and change smalt to a redirect. If it ever gets bigger, we can take Smalt out again. I wouldn't go for a cobalt glass -> smalt merge, since that seems illogical. Brammers (talk/c) 12:32, 25 February 2011 (UTC)
 * I think I am opposed to this. While they may consist of the same substance, smalt is, as as Cwkmail says above, "powdered cobalt glass which is used as a pigment", and a term found when discussing painting, pottery and other things. Cobalt glass is just a type of glass. I agree the photo is not much help, smalt only seems to be used in a very small area! A painting might be better. Johnbod (talk) 13:49, 25 February 2011 (UTC)
 * I've changed the picture & added some material. I am now more firmly opposed to a merge: smalt is a pigment and cobalt glass a type of glassware, although the pigment may sometimes also be called cobalt glass. Johnbod (talk) 14:55, 25 February 2011 (UTC)

Okay, I learned something here, which is that smalt is ONLY powdered cobalt glass used as pigment for something ELSE. When used for other types of glass it's only applied to the exterior surface, and the same is true in porcelains. So now I agree with the non-merge, though each article should reference the other enough times that nobody misses the connection. S B Harris 20:56, 25 February 2011 (UTC)
 * I think much or most cobalt glass is actually made entirely from cobalt glass, with the cobalt stuff mixed into the flux that makes the whole body, but otherwise yes. Johnbod (talk) 22:16, 25 February 2011 (UTC)

I oppose the merge. The topics seem diverse enough to warrant their own articles. I do believe they should be cross-referenced, as they are clearly related. Neonfuzz (talk) 16:11, 23 September 2011 (UTC)