CiM Glass Testing: 608 Tranquility Ltd. Run

Although it may seem so, not all lavender glass is created equal.  Lavender shades (whether transparent or opaque) almost always do color shift - from pale blue-ish in fluorescent lighting, to bright lavender purple in sunlight, to soft pinkish-lavender under incandescent lights.  This new color from CiM, called Tranquility, is no different in that regard.

What does make Tranquility a little different than the other transparent lavender shades in the 104 COE line is its consistency.  Tranquility is nice and smooth - melts evenly and doesn't burn, scum or bubble as easily as the other lavenders I have tried.

As for the hue - Tranquility is one of the lightest lavenders - lighter than CiM Count Von Count (discontinued), CiM Purple Haze, and Effetre Dark Lavender.  It's probably closest in shade to CiM Larkspur (which is also no longer available). However, Larkspur tended to wash out easier and was slightly stiffer in my opinion.  Tranquility is a bit darker than Effetre Pale Lavender.

CiM's transparent lavender shades tend to have much more clarity than Effetre's shades - light transmits through them really well, making them appear smoother and shinier.

However, as with all purple glass, photographing Tranquility can be a challenge.  Different lights will change the color slightly, and sometimes getting it to appear correctly can take some editing skills.  This difficulty increases when you pair the lavender with other colors such as green or blue.

Because Tranquility is so smooth and well behaved - and not as stiff as some other shades, it makes a great encasing and layering glass.  I like how it transforms the sometimes dingy opaque violet shades into sweet purples.

Shown here are some tests - I used Tranquility to encase (from left to right) Effetre White, CiM Heffalump, CiM Grape Ape, and CiM Thai Orchid. Plain spacers are also shown.

Above, Tranquility is layered with my favorite opaque purple, Effetre New Violet, to make a subtle medium purple.  It's combined with navy blue (CiM Inkblot over Effetre Periwinkle) and white for a wintery look.   These beads are slightly brighter in person, but soooo hard to photograph.

All in all, Tranquility is a wonderful replacement for the discontinued CiM lavenders, and is easier to work with than the Effetre versions.  A worthy addition to the line! 

***New Info as of Feb 1st.... according to Kathy at CiM, Tranquility was a limited run miss-melt, and it has already sold out.  I don't think Frantz has any more either.  I have asked if they have any plans to remake it or something similar.  I will post again, if I hear back!  So sad!!