Sample Boards for Morjo™ Glass Tile 20mm (3/4 inch) is a dated sample set from our current inventory. The samples for this product line are mounted on two boards.
Sample Boards
Sample boards should be used wisely with the understanding that all tile can vary by manufacturer batch, even the most expensive brands. This is because tile is fired in a kiln, and that process is more difficult to control than mixing paint, and so there can be differences in shade or hue. Feel free to contact us if you need to know if a color has changed since you ordered your sample board.
Morjo™ 3/4-Inch Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tile
3/4-inch vitreous glass mosaic tiles by Morjo™ are sold loose in bags of 1/2 kg (1.1 pound), which is about 165 tiles. Like all Morjo Mosaic Tile products, these vitreous tiles are affordable yet suitable for fine art. They are UV resistant and factory certified for commercial exteriors, swimming pools, backsplashes, showers, murals, as well as art-&-craft projects like mosaic stepping stones. The backs of these glass mosaic tiles are embossed with ridges to help the cement or adhesive bond more securely. Mounting grids are available.
Tile Specs
tile size: 3/4 inch (20mm)
thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm)
sales unit: 1.1-pounds (approximately 165 tiles)
material: glass
variety: vitreous
pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Coverage
With a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch, one bag of approximately 165 tiles will cover 0.76 square feet. Approximately 218 loose tiles are needed to cover 1 square foot. You can also use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.
Compatibility
Tile thickness is 1/8 inch nominal, the same as most of the glass mosaic tile we sell, which means that these can be used with other types and brands. There are smaller 10mm versions of Morjo™ Vitreous available, and many of the color names are the same, but do not assume that they will match exactly because our current inventory of each size often comes from different manufacturer batches.
Cutting Morjo 3/4-Inch Vitreous
We recommend using the wheel-blade Mosaic Glass Cutter we sell to cut all types of glass mosaic tile including vitreous. (Regular tile nippers are for ceramic tile, and they tend to crush glass tile.)
Use in Mosaic Art
Vitreous glass is sometimes thought of as an architectural surface covering not suitable for rendering images of any sophistication, mostly because of the limited color palette. That is not true. Mosaic is an exercise in using a limited color palette. The exact hue or shade an artist would prefer to use is often not available, even in premium lines of tile, and so the solution is to use approximate colors cut into smaller pieces and positioned together so that they blend visually. For example, if the exact shade of cyan blue is not available, try using a shade slightly lighter and a shade slightly darker in a field of small pieces mixed together.
If this seems daunting, then spend some time browsing pictures of ancient Greek and Roman mosaic and note what sophisticated designs they were able to create with about seven or eight distinct colors. Modern vitreous glass is a rainbow of intense colors by comparison. Also keep in mind that simplifying your design to use a more limited color palette is an opportunity to make the design stronger and more iconic.
Irregular Glazed Ceramic Tile are molded pieces in the irregular shapes shown. They are sold by the 1/4 pound, which is over 80 pieces, unless a batch is running slightly thicker than normal. The thickness is about 3-4mm with slight variation.
The product is scooped at random, and we cannot control the quantity of each shape in a 1/4-pound scoop or pick certain shapes for you. The shapes come mixed as assortments from the factory.
Irregular Glazed Ceramic Tile
Sold by the 1/4 pound.
piece count: around 80+
glazed ceramic tile in molded angular shapes.
sizes: around an inch and less.
thickness: roughly 3-4mm. varies slightly.
not certified for flooring. The glazes of the metallic colors would be extremely vulnerable to scratching.
metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.
Susceptible to freeze damage. Use a tile and grout sealer.
Preventing Freeze Damage
Glazed ceramic materials are particularly susceptible to freeze damage, as are all porous materials. There are micro cracks in the glaze, which allows moisture to penetrate into the pores of the ceramic and then freeze, expand and crack the material. This can be minimized by sealing your FINISHED mosaic with multiple applications of a tile and grout sealer from the local building material store. You can also prevent this damage by bringing you stepping stones and mosaic lawn sculptures inside for the winter months.
Piece Count
Piece count varies because thickness varies by batch, but assume 80+ pieces per 1/4 pound.
Product Coverage
Each 1/4-pound sales unit should cover an area of roughly 5 x 5 inches or 25 square inches (0.17 square feet) assuming a small grout gap.
Compatibility
The thickness varies between batches and even within a batch, but not by much. Most artists could mix these with glass mosaic tile and not be bothered by any slight difference in thickness, but if a batch ran particularly thick, the unglazed sides of the ceramic tile might be slightly visible above the thinner glass tile if you don’t grout.
Cutting Tile
These can be cut with a Mosaic Tile Nipper such as we sell, but there may be some scrap.
Use in Mosaic Art
As discussed above, sealing with a tile and grout sealer is important for preventing freeze damage. These can be used with glass mosaic tile. We do not recommend these for use in flooring because the glazes might scratch, particularly the metallic colors. The metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.
How To Make Mosaic Art
For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.
Glazed Ceramic Tile Charms are assortments of 16 different shapes. These tiles are tiny. They are sold by the 1/4 pound, which is over 190 pieces, possibly over 220 pieces if a batch of tile is running slightly thinner.
The product is scooped at random, and we cannot control the quantity of each shape in a 1/4-pound scoop or pick certain shapes for you. The shapes come mixed as assortments from the factory.
The 16 different shapes in the assortments are stars, crescent moons, arrows, flowers, hearts, ovals, eggs, triangles, pentagons, circles, semicircles, wedges, drops, trapezoids, diamonds, and blundersnurks.
Glazed Ceramic Charms
Sold by the 1/4 pound.
glazed ceramic tile in 16 symbolic shapes.
width: less than 1/4 inch.
thickness: roughly 4mm-5mm. varies slightly.
not certified for flooring. The glazes of the metallic colors would be extremely vulnerable to scratching.
metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.
Susceptible to freeze damage. Use a tile and grout sealer.
Preventing Freeze Damage
Glazed ceramic materials are particularly susceptible to freeze damage, as are all porous materials. There are micro cracks in the glaze, which allows moisture to penetrate into the pores of the ceramic and then freeze, expand and crack the material. This can be minimized by sealing your FINISHED mosaic with multiple applications of a tile and grout sealer from the local building material store. You can also prevent this damage by bringing you stepping stones and mosaic lawn sculptures inside for the winter months.
Piece Count
Piece count varies because thickness varies by batch. If a batch is running slightly thinner, then 1/4 pound might contain 230 pieces. If a batch is running slightly thicker, then 1/4 pound might only contain 190 pieces.
Product Coverage
Each 1/4-pound sales unit should cover an area of roughly 5 x 5 inches or 25 square inches (0.17 square feet) assuming a small grout gap.
Compatibility
Tile thickness is slightly thicker than our 4mm-thick glass mosaic tile, and the thickness varies between batches and even within a batch, but not by much. Most artists could mix these with glass mosaic tile and not be bothered by any slight difference in thickness, but if a batch ran particularly thick, the unglazed sides of the ceramic tile might be slightly visible above the thinner glass tile if you don’t grout.
Cutting Tile
Cutting should not be required due to the small size, but these could be cut with a Mosaic Tile Nipper such as we sell.
Use in Mosaic Art
As discussed above, sealing with a tile and grout sealer is important for preventing freeze damage. These can be used with glass mosaic tile. The metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.
How To Make Mosaic Art
For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.
Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm are over 5/16 inch thick and sold loose in bags of 1/2 kg, which is approximately 130 to 150 pieces. These are fine porcelain with solid color throughout. Raw, unpolished. The corners and edges are sharp. They will more naturally match the edges of any cuts you need to make, but you should smooth sharp exposed corners with the fine side of a marble file for safety reasons. These tiles and very hard and durable, but they can be cut with our Compound Tile Nipper.
Never Install Tile in Batches
Tile varies by manufacturer batch, and sometimes a color will go out of stock for an extended period if the manufacturer isn’t making it. You should never install tile before you are sure that you have all the tile you need. You could attempt to order more and find that the manufacturer has changed the color or discontinued it.
Product Coverage
Some colors are sold loose in 1/2-kg bags of approximately 130 to 150 tiles. Assuming a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch, a bag of 1/2 kg will cover 60 square inches or 0.4 square inches. To cover 1 square foot, you will need about 3 bags. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.
Compatibility
For best results, these should only be used with thick ceramic and stone tiles instead of most glass. These tiles are 8mm thick, which is twice the thickness of most of the glass mosaic tile we sell. If you mount these on a flat surface alongside 4mm thick glass mosaic tile, then the glass would be recessed significantly, which might not look right because the corner edges of the porcelain tiles are pretty crisp (not rounded).
Use With Glass Tile
There is a way to use these with thinner materials, and that is to temporarily face mount the pieces on mounting tape or mounting paper and then press the sheet of tile into a bed of
thinset mortar.
The extra mortar beneath the thin glass tile will contract (or “thin”) as it hardens (“sets”), and that means the glass tile would still be recessed some compared to the thicker porcelain tile.
The unglazed porcelain is not glossy like glass, so there would be differences in sheen or finish between the two materials, but that is not necessarily a negative thing.
Cutting Porcelain Tile
This product is not soft like most glazed ceramic tile. Porcelain is extremely hard, but it can be cut. Our Compound Tile Nipper is the recommended tool for hard materials like stone and porcelain. A Marble File is also required for smoothing the edges of cuts and shaping the pieces. Corners can be sharp because this material is very hard. Exposed corners should be rounded with the file for safety reasons.
Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm
sold by 1/2 kg, which is approximately 130 to 150 pieces.
fine porcelain with solid color throughout.
crisp edges, which more naturally matches cut edges.
Each tile is 15 mm x 15 mm x 8 mm thick (approximately 9/16 inch x 9/16 inch x 5/16 inch)
Coverage: 1/2 kg will cover 0.4 square feet when using a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch.
Frost-proof, impervious to liquid.
Suitable for indoor or outdoor use.
IMPORTANT INSTALLATION TIPS
For architectural installations, the manufacturer recommends that the porcelain tile be installed with a latex-modified thin set mortar instead of glue. For dry indoor mosaics, we use Weldbond glue.
Porcelain is essentially non-porous and impervious to moisture, and so it is supposedly not stained by grouting, but we have noticed discrete pits and divots in the surface of the tile that can be filled with grout. For this reason, we recommend using GROUT RELEASE (from a building materials store) on the mosaic before grouting:
Mount the tiles to the surface to be covered.
Use a rag or small artists paint brush to apply GROUT RELEASE to the face of the tiles.
Take care not to drip excess GROUT RELEASE in between the tiles or down the sides of the tiles or any place grout will need to bond.
How To Make Mosaic Art
For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.
Morjo™ Mini Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tiles (3/8-Inch) are affordable artist-grade 10mm vitreous glass tiles for making murals, fine art, crafts, and architectural coverings. The Morjo brand is competitively priced, and the quality of the firing, the colors, and the surface finish are all excellent. The color names are the same as the larger 3/4″-inch versions, but they might not match exactly due to variations in manufacturer batches. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, these are a good choice for mosaic murals and signage. Each sales unit contains a quarter kilogram (8.5 ounces = approximately 375 pieces). Mounting grids are available .
Morjo MINI Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tile (3/8-Inch)
tile size: 3/8 inch (10mm
thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm)
sales unit: 8.5 ounces (approximately 375 tiles)
material: glass
variety: vitreous
pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Coverage
With a standard grout gap of approximately 1/32 inch, one bag of approximately 375 tiles will cover 0.48 square feet. Approximately 731 loose tiles are needed to cover 1 square foot using the standard grout gap. If you are not using a grout gap (not recommended for wet mosaics or mosaics subject to freezing precipitation), then you need about 930 tiles to cover each square foot, You can use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.
Compatibility
Tile thickness is 1/8 inch nominal, the same as most of the glass mosaic tile we sell, which means that these can be used with other types and brands. There are larger 20mm versions of Morjo™ Vitreous available, and many of the color names are the same, but do not assume that they will match exactly because our current inventory of each size often comes from different manufacturer batches.
Cutting Morjo Mini Vitreous Tile
We recommend using the wheel-blade Mosaic Glass Cutter we sell to cut all types of glass mosaic tile including vitreous. (Regular tile nippers are for ceramic tile, and they tend to crush glass tile).
Note that there is a practical limit to how small they can be cut because the edges of the tiles are tapered, and small pieces tend to tilt. We cut halves and quarters and diagonal triangles but do not try to go small than that, at least most of the time. If you are making the fine details of your image and need to cut smaller, you can lean pieces against each other, but that can get tedious.
Vitreous Glass Tile in Mosaic Art
The Morjo™ brand is economical enough for use in craft projects, but it can also be used for fine art and murals. There are enough colors available in the brand itself to render sophisticated images, including naturalistic portraits and landscapes, and these can be combined with other brands of the same size.
Vitreous glass is sometimes thought of as an architectural surface covering not suitable for rendering images of any sophistication, mostly because of the limited color palette. That is not true. Mosaic is an exercise in using a limited color palette. The exact hue or shade an artist would prefer to use is often not available, even in premium lines of tile, and so the solution is to use approximate colors cut into smaller pieces and positioned together so that they blend visually. For example, if the exact shade of cyan blue is not available, try using a shade slightly lighter and a shade slightly darker in a field of small pieces mixed together.
If this seems daunting, then spend some time browsing pictures of ancient Greek and Roman mosaic and note what sophisticated designs they were able to create with about seven or eight distinct colors. Modern vitreous glass is a rainbow of intense colors by comparison. Also keep in mind that simplifying your design to use a more limited color palette is an opportunity to make the design stronger and more iconic.
Morjo™ Vitreous 3/4-inch (20mm) tiles are affordable artist-grade vitreous glass mosaic tiles with a broad color range and high-quality pigmentation. Each 1/2-kg bag (1.1 pound) contains about 165 tiles. Like all Morjo Mosaic Tile products, these vitreous tiles are affordable yet suitable for fine art. They are UV resistant and factory certified for commercial exteriors, swimming pools, backsplashes, showers, murals, as well as art-&-craft projects like mosaic stepping stones. The backs of these glass mosaic tiles are embossed with ridges to help the cement or adhesive bond more securely. Mounting grids are available.
Morjo 3/4-Inch Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tile
tile size: 3/4 inch (20mm)
thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm)
sales unit: 1.1-pounds (approximately 165 tiles)
material: glass
variety: vitreous
pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Coverage
With a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch, one bag of approximately 165 tiles will cover 0.76 square feet. Approximately 218 loose tiles are needed to cover 1 square foot. You can use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.
Compatibility
Tile thickness is 1/8 inch nominal, the same as most of the glass mosaic tile we sell, which means that these can be used with other types and brands. There are smaller 10mm versions of Morjo™ Vitreous available, and many of the color names are the same, but do not assume that they will match exactly because our current inventory of each size often comes from different manufacturer batches.
Cutting Morjo 3/4-Inch Vitreous
We recommend using the wheel-blade Mosaic Glass Cutter we sell to cut all types of glass mosaic tile including vitreous. (Regular tile nippers are for ceramic tile, and they tend to crush glass tile.)
Using Vitreous Tile in Mosaic Art
Vitreous glass is sometimes thought of as an architectural surface covering not suitable for rendering images of any sophistication, mostly because of the limited color palette. That is not true. Mosaic is an exercise in using a limited color palette. The exact hue or shade an artist would prefer to use is often not available, even in premium lines of tile, and so the solution is to use approximate colors cut into smaller pieces and positioned together so that they blend visually. For example, if the exact shade of cyan blue is not available, try using a shade slightly lighter and a shade slightly darker in a field of small pieces mixed together.
If this seems daunting, then spend some time browsing pictures of ancient Greek and Roman mosaic and note what sophisticated designs they were able to create with about seven or eight distinct colors. Modern vitreous glass is a rainbow of intense colors by comparison. Also keep in mind that simplifying your design to use a more limited color palette is an opportunity to make the design stronger and more iconic.
Blue Willow China Tiles 1-Inch 30 Pieces are glazed porcelain sold on sheets of fiberglass mesh, which can be pulled off or cut apart with scissors. These are made in a porcelain factory to look like tiles cut from china plates. The faces are not perfectly flat but bulged out with rounded edges and corners, and this makes the tiles look as if they were rounded by tumbling on a beach, although the finish is shiny gloss not tumbled. The backs of the tiles are unglazed and have grooves to help adhesives and mortars bond more securely.
Blue Willow China Tiles 1-Inch 30 Pieces
tile size: 1 inch (25mm)
sheet size: 6.375 inch x 5.375 inch
thickness: 3/16 inch nominal
sales unit: one mesh sheet of 30 tiles
material: porcelain
variety: glazed
pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Coverage
One sheet of 30 pieces will cover 0.23 square feet assuming a standard grout gap of approximately 1/8 inch. To cover 1 square foot, you would need 4 sheets plus 1 tile, which would give you 121 tiles arranged 11 pieces x 11 pieces. We sell these for use as accents instead of area coverage.
Compatibility
These are slightly thicker than the glass tile we sell, but that isn’t a problem if you are wanting your mosaic to have texture with tiles and regions that are a little higher than others. (Raised elements might be problematic on a table top or floor, but for other mosaics, texture and dimension are an easy way to add visual interest to your work.)
These 1-inch tiles can be used to make borders around mosaic pictures or used randomly with other materials in mixed-media mosaics or in pique assiette work with pieces cut from plates and dinnerware. Used in sheets for area coverage, these could make a great kitchen backsplash.
Blue Cherry Blossom China Tiles 1-Inch 30 Pieces are glazed porcelain sold on sheets of fiberglass mesh, which can be pulled off or cut apart with scissors. These are made in a porcelain factory to look like tiles cut from china plates. The faces are not perfectly flat but bulged out with rounded edges and corners, and this makes the tiles look as if they were rounded by tumbling on a beach, although the finish is shiny gloss not tumbled. The backs of the tiles are unglazed and have grooves to help adhesives and mortars bond more securely.
Blue Cherry Blossom China Tiles 1-Inch 30 Pieces
tile size: 1 inch (25mm)
sheet size: 6.375 inch x 5.375 inch
thickness: 3/16 inch nominal
sales unit: one mesh sheet of 30 tiles
material: porcelain
variety: glazed
pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Coverage
One sheet of 30 pieces will cover 0.23 square feet assuming a standard grout gap of approximately 1/8 inch. To cover 1 square foot, you would need 4 sheets plus 1 tile, which would give you 121 tiles arranged 11 pieces x 11 pieces. We sell these for use as accents instead of area coverage.
Compatibility
These are slightly thicker than the glass tile we sell, but that isn’t a problem if you are wanting your mosaic to have texture with tiles and regions that are a little higher than others. (Raised elements might be problematic on a table top or floor, but for other mosaics, texture and dimension are an easy way to add visual interest to your work.)
These 1-inch tiles can be used to make borders around mosaic pictures or used randomly with other materials in mixed-media mosaics or in pique assiette work with pieces cut from plates and dinnerware. Used in sheets for area coverage, these could make a great kitchen backsplash.