| Small rectangular multi-colored chunks of opaque glass, hand-made in Italy. Smalti (or smalto) is the type of opaque glass used in classic Byzantine mosaics. It is also sometimes called Venetian Enameled Glass or Byzantine Glass. Smalti spans the spectrum, from intense colors to pastels and earth-tones. As each piece is cut by hand, the size of each tesserae varies, but they are approximately 1/4 in. thick by 3/4 in. long. Smalti is very weather resistant and will not fade. It is easy to cut with tile nippers or with a traditional hammer-and-hardie.
There are approximately 240 to 250 pieces per pound. It will take anywhere from 2 to 3 pounds per square foot--the amount depends upon the width your grout line.
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