On Dwarves and Glass-making by Artano

On Dwarves and Glass-making

Read On Dwarves and Glass-making

A while ago, I read an article about the Lycurgus Cup, and I had some thoughts about it that I've finally gathered and organized in this meta. For background, the Lycurgus Cup is a 1,700 year-old Roman chalice that looks green when lit from the front, but looks red when lit from behind. According to the article, this is because the Romans suffused the glass "with particles of silver and gold, ground down until they were as small as 50 nanometers in diameter...The work was so precise that there was no way that the resulting effect was an accident. In fact, the exact mixture of the previous metals suggests that the Romans had perfected the use of nanoparticles..." My thought was that if the Romans could create color-changing glass like this, what are the chances that Dwarves could have done the same?  Especially given the Dwarves' expertise with working with metals, it seems not unlikely that they would have the capability to create such small particles and use them in making such glass.  And I could imagine it becoming a specialized product they are famous for once they begin trading with the Elves, as it seems like a product the Elves, including Caranthir would enjoy.  It would be particularly notable in large quantities in a western window; appearing green in the morning, but shifting to red as the day progresses.