Didymium is an important and very popular ingredient used in creating safety glasses. There are several applications wherein you can use didymium safety glasses, one of which is to provide filter that blocks yellowish flare produce by hot sodium, without damaging the crafter’s vision. Didymium is also used to block excessive ultraviolet light emitted from forging to save the crafter’s eye from serious to permanent cornea damage.
If you will add didymium with photographic filters, its effect on the crafter’s vision will be even more effective. This combination enhances the vision of the user, making it look more vibrant (e.g. greener leaves)
Basically, Didymium safety glasses are used by blacksmiths, lamp workers, craftsmen, welder etc. to perform the task efficiently and more safely.
Basic Types of Didymium Safety Glasses
1. Rose Didymium
This one is close to being obsolete as no one carries this around anymore. These type of glasses carries old geeky style and perhaps fits to retro-type of people. It resembles like common laboratory goggles tinted with rose-colored shade hence the name.
2. Enhanced Didymium
A 202ACE standard glass which blocks bright yellow flare but not the entire UV nor the IR light. This is most suitable to workers who are always expose to flame, torches or sodium flares. These kind of didymium safety glasses are the favorite of lampworkers and beadmakers because of its features (* no need for UV or IR light protection since they always deal with eye straining amber light).
3. A Shade 2,3 or 5 Lens
These type of lens has the ability to block IR and UV light, but not the yellow flare. Glass workers could enable the didymium glasses protection by putting “clip-ons”. These are detachable lenses that can enhance the features of your current safety glasses. This may sound impractical if its your first time to buy didymium glasses, better to get protection on all 3 rays instead.
4. Green ACE IR
Originally called ‘boroscopes’. These type of glasses can block yellow flares and even UV and IR light. Costly but proven to be very effective in different types of weld related work. Compare with boroscopes, the Green ACE IR glasses have enhanced didymium protection to protect worker even more. Also, most are made stylish and sleek.
Comparison Chart: Difference of Welding Shades
Things to know before buying Didymium Safety Glasses
All in all you need to know what type of safety glasses suits your work perfectly. You may want to consult your ophthalmologist about this one and ask if a particular didymium glass really does the job of filtering the flares. Price of didymium glasses ranges from $20-$30 for a standard welder shades and $30-50 if you’re looking for a stylish Boroscope (Green ACE IR) type of glasses.