The possibilities with display fireworks in this day and age is truly limitless.  With so many effects now available and the combining of effects just about anything is possible.  We also have the ability to custom design display shells for our customers.  From the basic color burst to a heart or a bow tie at High Desert Pyrotechnics we are constantly stocked with the most exciting, vibrant, and unique products as well as the classics that you have come to enjoy. 

Here are a few sample pictures and descriptions for some of the more common effects.

                                peony                                                       ring                                                          dahlia                                                        crossette    

                               hearts                                                                spider                                                          candle                                                       cake

PEONY:

A spherical break of colored stars.  The peony is the most commonly seen shell type.

CHRYSANTHEMUM:

A spherical break of colored stars, similar to a peony, but with stars that leave a visible trail of sparks

DAHLIA:

Essentially the same as a peony shell, but with fewer and larger stars. These stars travel a longer-than-usual distance from the shell break before burning out. For instance, if a 3" peony shell is made with a star size designed for a 6" shell, it is then considered a dahlia. Some dahlia shells are cylindrical rather than spherical to allow for larger stars.

WILLOW:

Similar to a chrysanthemum, but with long-burning silver or gold stars that produce a soft, dome-shaped weeping willow-like effect.

PALM:

A shell containing a relative few large comet stars arranged in such a way as to burst with large arms or tendrils, producing a palm tree-like effect. Proper palm shells feature a thick rising tail that displays as the shell ascends, thereby simulating the tree trunk to further enhance the "palm tree" effect. One might also see a burst of color inside the palm burst (given by a small insert shell) to simulate coconuts.

RING:

A shell with stars specially arranged so as to create a ring. Variations include smiley faces, hearts, and clovers.

DIADEM:

A type of Peony or Chrysanthemum with a center cluster of non-moving stars, normally of a contrasting color or effect. The name comes from the Latin word for "jewel".

KAMURO:

A dense burst of glittering silver or gold stars which leave a heavy glitter trail. The name refers to a common Japanese hairstyle.

CROSSETTE:

A shell containing several large stars that travel a short distance before breaking apart into smaller stars with a loud crackling sound, creating a crisscrossing grid-like effect. Once limited to silver or gold effects, colored crossettes such as red, green, or white are now very common.

SPIDER:

A shell containing a fast burning tailed or charcoal star that is burst very hard so that the stars travel in a straight and flat trajectory before burning out. This appears in the sky as a series of radial lines much like the legs of a spider.

HORSETAIL:

Named for the shape of its break, this shell features heavy long-burning tailed stars that only travel a short distance from the shell burst before free-falling to the ground. Also known as a waterfall shell. Sometimes there is a glittering through the "waterfall."

TIME RAIN:

An effect created by large, slow-burning stars within a shell that leave a trail of large glittering sparks behind and make a very loud sizzling noise. The "time" refers to the fact that these stars burn away gradually, as opposed to the standard brocade "rain" effect where a large amount of glitter material is released at once.

MULTI- BREAK SHELLS:

A large shell containing several smaller shells of various sizes and types. The initial burst scatters the shells across the sky before they explode. Also called a bouquet shell. When a shell contains smaller shells of the same size and type, the effect is usually referred to as "Thousands".

FISH:

Large inserts that propel themselves rapidly away from the shell burst, often looking like fish swimming away.

SALUTE:

A shell containing a large quantity of flash powder rather than stars, producing a quick flash followed by a very loud report. Titanium may be added to the flash powder mix to produce a cloud of bright sparks around the flash. Salutes are commonly used in large quantities during finales to create intense noise and brightness. They are often cylindrical in shape to allow for a larger payload of flash powder.  Salutes are also called Maroons.

MINE:

A mine is a ground firework that expels stars and/or other garnitures into the sky. Shot from a mortar like a shell, a mine consists of a canister with the lift charge on the bottom with the effects placed on top. Mines can project small reports, serpents, small shells, as well as just stars. Although mines up to 12 inches in diameter appear on occasion, they are usually between 3 and 5 inches in diameter.

ROMAN CANDLE:

A Roman candle is a long tube containing several large stars which fire intermittently at a regular interval. These are commonly arranged in fan shapes or crisscrossing shapes, at a closer proximity to the audience. Some larger Roman candles contain small shells (bombettes) rather than stars.

CAKE:

A cake is a cluster of small tubes linked by fuse, that fire small aerial effects at a rapid pace. Tube diameters can range in size from ¼ inch to 4 inches, and can sometimes have over 1,000 shots. These are often used in large quantities as part of a show's finale or for a closer proximity audience.

 

* Descriptions are given from Wikipedia.