Neil Greer Mosaics

Smalti: Primarily produced in Venice, though also available in Mexico and Russia, this is the most expensive material with a rich colour and reflective sparkle unrivalled in mosaic materials. These tiles come in an intense range of colours as well as metallics. Hand-coloured and hand-cut, using secrets passed down through generations they are only produced by a few family companies in Italy, who also supply the Vatican, for religious subjects. They are generally left ungrouted, as they have an uneven surface, so they are most suitable for artwork to be hung on walls, or murals rather than tabletops or floors. They are the Rolls Royce of mosaic tiles, but cost on average ten times as much as vitreous glass.

Unglazed ceramic: Hardwearing and frost-proof, the material is suitable for floors and walls, tabletops and house signs, and is extremely hardwearing, even for outdoor projects. It comes in a muted and earthy range of colours and has a matt surface. This material is more expensive than the equivalent in vitreous glass.

Vitreous Glass: This is good for walls, tabletops and decorative objects, but is not ideal for floors, as it can break if subject to point loads. This material offers a wide range of intense colours, which in some cases have metallic striations, and is relatively economically priced.

Broken china and tile: These materials can be used to great decorative effect, but are not designed to stand up to the elements, so they should strictly be used for internal projects. The pieces tend to be larger, often with an inherent surface pattern, which can give a highly decorative effect. As they are generally found in boot fairs or assembled from leftovers from DIY projects, they are the least expensive.