Rare Artist Proof Paperweights
Artist Proof Paperweights are special spheres made to test the color and compatibility of every new cane design that will be melted inside a Planet. If the cane expands or contracts at a rate different than Josh's custom-made clear glass, the sphere might crack as it cools. This family survived!
What's So Unusual About Them?
Three things. First, all 14 pieces in this group were made in 2012 and set aside for a reason now lost to memory. Second, Josh added a swirl of colorful Corona glass for the first time to the New Mexico core of many of these Planets. Back in 2012, he was in the very early stages of inventing Corona formulas, so these tests represent a significant stage in his evolution. And third, these spheres are 3.5" in diameter instead of the usual 3" Artist Proof size. Why did Josh, fully aware that some pieces were likely to fail, go to the trouble of making this larger size? No one knows.
