Gradium glasses are entirely different from all known high-performance glass or plastic materials. They have refractive index gradients that are generated using a patented fusion/diffusion process. The process has been perfected from the formulation of simple and readily available glasses to the production of custom-designed gradient index profiles using advanced computer software which has been successfully scaled to the manufacturing level. The unique nature of the process makes possible: The development of unique and unusual glasses with custom-designed refractive index profiles and transmission characteristics, and; The designing of new optical systems for conventional optics or photonics, using these custom-designed glasses.