The process used for most of the distinctive glass in St. James is now a lost art. It uses larger pieces of glass and less leading than traditional styles of stained glass. Some of its shading is achieved by varying the thickness of the glass, or by building up various colors of glass.

Most stained glass windows look dark if light does not shine through them. Tiffany windows are beautifully translucent and light shines through the design, illuminating the picture like a color slide. The picture is visible even if no light shines through, although the image seen under these conditions is quite different in character and appearance.  In the presence of brilliant sunlight, these windows are magnificent!