Smalt is a kind of artificially made colourful glass that can be both transparent and opaque. Mosaic decorations made of smalt are usually glossy and have a coarse surface. The uniqueness of each tile and wide colour palette make smalt a perfect choice for the creation of various visual effects.

However, creating a smalti artwork could be rather difficult for beginners. Also, because of surface roughness, smalt decorations are never grouted or used in floor designs.

Mosaics designs made of stained glass could be applied to create decorations. For example, one of our projects is stained glass mosaic ceiling mural for Tolmachevo airport in Novosibirsk, Russia. Furthermore, this material may be used to create impressive volumetric designs such as the flower in the picture.

Overall, all the materials mentioned in this article last for a long time without breaking or becoming weaker, and require minimal maintenance. Smalti, stained glass, glass and natural stone tiles are waterproof and resistent to any detergents.

These materials have been known to people for centuries. For example, they were widely used during the existence of the Roman Empire.

Surfaces decorated with mosaic tiles made of natural stones (marble, travertine, etc.) are perfect for both indoor and outdoor designs. Moreover, mosaics made of natural stones are one of the easiest to complete for total beginners who have no previous experience in this field.

Glass mosaic designs are bright and flat, that is why this type of tiles is perfect for the decoration of tables, kitchen splashbacks, walls, floors, etc.

Furthermore, they may be applied to the creation of volumetric artworks such as large-scale murals or small panels.

In the photos below, we have added not only the pictures of the mosaic glass tiles but also the artworks that our students do during workshops.