FAQs
What techniques do you use in your stained glass designs?
Nightingale Glassworks utilizes both copper foil (also known as the Tiffany technique/method) and traditional lead* came depending on the design and where appropriate.
Do stained glass designs need to be placed in front of a window?
Not necessarily. Nightingale Glassworks creates pieces that will look great with any light source; having said that, certain colours and textures can look quite different when hanging on a wall with little light or placed upon a shelf versus hanging in direct sunlight, so where you place it can be a matter of personal preference.
Whenever there are hooks attached on a piece or to a frame, they are attached to the side which is considered to be the back of the piece. Therefore, the side containing hooks should always be hung with the hooks/loops towards the wall/window. Asymmetrical designs can look quite different and not as intended if they are hung ‘backwards’.
Many pieces also contain textured glass or glass containing special iridescent or reflective finishes and we consider those features as part of the front face of the piece.
How do I care for my stained glass piece?
The stained glass that is used in all designs will always have natural ‘flaws’ that develop during the manufacturing process, whether they are imbedded air bubbles or fractures, or a ridge rising out from a smooth surface. Some glass is also intentionally textured to produce a certain look. All of these variations are what makes the glass unique and each piece one of a kind.
Glass is obviously fragile, especially the larger and heavier the piece. Glass also does not like temperature extremes as this makes it more prone to cracking or breaking. Thankfully, most pieces only need to hang or sit someplace where you can easily give them a quick, gentle dusting. Over time metals will naturally tarnish, but that is all part of the magic.
How do I pay for my purchase?
When you shop in our online store, payment for your items is done through our secure checkout which accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and Apple Pay. You will get an email confirmation of your order as well as an email confirmation and tracking number when it has shipped. Payment for larger custom panels are done via e-transfer and arranged via email/telephone.
We do not have access to any of your payment information as this is done through our secure Stripe account where all credit card numbers are encrypted. Furthermore, Stripe’s infrastructure for storing, decrypting, and transmitting credit card numbers runs through separate hosting infrastructure where credentials aren’t shared with Stripe’s primary services.
Where do you ship?
At present, items in our online store ship to Canada and the United States (excluding Alaska & Hawaii) and shipping costs are calculated at the checkout. We are also able to ship internationally, but this has to be arranged directly through email and not our online store. Please contact us for further information. Larger commissioned panels are subject to custom shipping costs that are arranged via email/telephone.
What is your return policy?
We want you to be extremely happy with your purchase! However, due to the complex nature of designing, creating, and shipping one-of-a-kind panels, we are unable to accept returns on them. For pendants and necklaces, if you are dissatisfied for any reason, returns/exchanges will be considered on a case-by-case basis directly via email or telephone. Thank you!
What is your privacy policy?
When you buy something through our website, we collect personal information from you to fulfill the order. As you go through our checkout, our site may auto-complete your shipping and billing address by sharing what you type with the Google Places API and returning suggestions to you to improve your checkout experience. As mentioned above, we also have access to your email for communication purposes. We share your contact information with Squarespace, our website hosting provider and online store provider, so they can send these emails to you on our behalf and provide website services to us.
* It is recommenced that you wash your hands after handling items containing lead and soldered joints (solder used contains lead unless stated otherwise).
Hopefully that covered everything, but if it didn’t, please let us know and fill out the form on our contact page! Thank you!