There is only one type of neon. Glass tubes that are hand bent to a design, offering a unique way to create both art pieces or neon signs, fully recyclable, long lasting and versatile, neon offers an unrivalled way to liven up any space
Neon was first discovered in its elemental form in 1898. In less than 20 years it was used not just as a scientific tool, but as a product. The first demonstration of neon in a modern form was in December 1910, by a man called Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show, who displayed two 12 metre long tubes filled with the gas.
From that point, the world has been fascinated with neon and its popularity and uses have evolved over the many years.
At A1deSIGNS, we sure do love our neon so we thought we’d put together a list of 5 interesting facts about neon (at least to us, anyway).
Hope you enjoy…
1. REAL NEON LIGHTS ARE ONLY REDDISH-ORANGE COLOURS
One of the lesser known neon facts is that there is only one colour for neon. When you fill a clear tube with pure neon gas, it lights up a reddish-orange colour and is that warm glow that is often thought of when neon is mentioned. To obtain other colours, there are a variety of methods used that include powder coated tubes, combining neon with other noble gases such as Argon, or even using coloured glass tubes. In some cases, all of the above are done to achieve some of the most vibrant colours you will see.
2. A NEON SIGN ONCE SOLD FOR $48,300!
Earlier this year, in January 2017, a neon sign sold for $48,300 at a auction night in Maine, USA, the sign was from the legendary Los Angeles rock club, ‘Whisky a Go Go’ and 13ft long.
3. NEON IS USED IN TELEVISION SETS AND LASERS
Having unique properties means that neon has many uses in everyday life, it’s used in advertising signs, vacuum tubes, wave meter tubes, lighting arrestors, high voltage indicators, television tubes, plasma tubes and helium-neon lasers. Nowadays liquid neon is commercially available and used as cryogenic refrigerant, so it’s not just common on the streets of Las Vegas, it’s in your home as well!
4. NEON IS A GREEK WORD
Neon gets its name from the Greek word ‘neos’ which means new.
5. ALL NEON LIGHTING IS HANDMADE
Even though electrodes and most glass tubes are prefabricated, neon lighting is still a handmade art and creators use blow torches to heat glass tubes before bending them into place and sealing them together.
We hope you found this post helpful? Check out more of our neon articles here. And please drop us a line if you’d like to chat about any of the details we’ve covered or to find out more about how our variety of neon signs can help your business.
