Tried & True: Lauscha Cocoa

Nothing warms me on chilly, icy evenings like a cup of cocoa!  This glass color from the german Lauscha line is just like that - warm, dense and deep. It has less of a yellow/brown tone in the later batches, making it a cross between deep brown and deep grey - perfect for winter! Pairing Lauscha Cocoa with pale pinks and blues is just blissful!

The rods come in a variety of diameters - I personally like the smaller rods, as they are easier to work with.  The color of the rods is often darker than when the glass has been melted - almost black in the latest batch.

Like most other Lauscha colors, Cocoa is a bit stiff to work with. It takes a bit longer to melt than other opaques, and cools pretty quickly.  I haven’t experienced any shockiness, though.  The later batches encase well with the clears and pale transparents I have used. The stiffness of this glass makes it particularly nice to use in stringer work and raised dots.

One thing you should know about this enigmatic color is the way it reacts with other colors.  First, it tends to envelop any other color that is layered over it.  This can create some stunning effects with pale opaque shades. Conversely, Cocoa will spread like wildfire on top of most other opaques and transparents, and leave ghostly reaction lines.

Cocoa is a striking color, and will actually get paler as you strike it.  It starts out a deep, glossy color.  Striking can be a bit tricky and it takes some time to learn the feel of it.

One last thing - remember - Cocoa isn’t edible, so don’t let anyone catch you licking it, as tempting as that may be.  And I speak from experience.