Stained Glass Market

Global Stained Glass Market: Overview

Stained glass is an artistic medium that explores the scattering property of colored and translucent glass panes. Glass is generally made by fusing together some form of silica such as sand, an alkali such as potash or soda, and lime or lead oxide. The color is imparted by adding a metallic oxide to these raw materials. Under different conditions, copper oxide imparts ruby, blue, or green color to glass. Cobalt is usually employed to produce glass with most shades of blue color. Stained glass is colored, painted, and enameled glass being used since ancient times. Stained and leaded glass can be found throughout America in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and textures. This type of glass is usually employed in windows, doors, ceilings, fanlights, sidelights, light fixtures, and other glazed features found in historic buildings. In recent years, stained glass can be found in all types of buildings, for example, a cathedral or a small row house or bungalow.

Stained glass is widely used in the manufacture of windows of churches, mosques, and other buildings. Major factors driving the stained glass market include development of the decorative arts industry and increase in the disposable income. In addition, custom works and repairs of aesthetic buildings augment the market. However, high cost of stained glass restricts the market, as customers prefer low-cost imported work over stained glass. Growth of the glass industry and product innovation are expected to provide immense growth opportunities to the stained glass market in the near future.

The process of manufacture of stained glass is the same as it was in the middle ages. For use in leaded glass windows, a lump of molten glass is caught at one end of a blow pipe; it is blown in a cylinder shape; cut; flattened; and cooled. This basic process varies in order to produce different effects.

Global Stained Glass Market: Key Segments

Based on type, the stained glass market can be segmented into plate glass, special glass, and others. Plate glass is also known as flat glass or sheet glass. The plate glass segment is projected to dominate the stained glass market during the forecast period. Key end-users of plate glass are the automotive industry and the building & construction industry. Plate glass plays a crucial role in mitigating the effect of changes in climate by aiding in energy conservation through high-performance architectural glass products and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Key drivers of the plate glass segment are rising expenditure on building and construction activities, and advancements in the production of solar panels.

In terms of end-use industry, the stained glass market can be divided into automotive, construction, consumer goods, and others. The construction segment accounted for the leading market share in 2017, owing to rise in the demand for flat glass in residential building projects and artistic appearance of flat glass in creative constructions. Additionally, increasing scope for use of stained glass in the manufacture of automobile windows and windshields is likely to drive the stained glass market during the forecast period.

In terms of region, the global stained glass market can be segregated into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is projected to dominate the stained glass market in 2017, due to the rising construction and infrastructure activities in India and China. The stained glass market in Europe is anticipated to expand at a remarkable pace from 2018 to 2026, due to increase in government regulations pertaining to green and sustainable buildings. Latin America and Middle East & Africa also account for a significant share of the global stained glass market. This can be ascribed to increase in the demand for stained glass in various end-use industries in these regions.

Global Stained Glass Market: Key Players

Prominent players operating in the global stained glass market are Aanraku Studios, Bullseye Glass Co., Cascade Metals, CBS Dichroic Glass., Asahi Glass, Nippon Sheet Glass, and Taiwan Glass Ind. Corp.