Gravitas distributes 100% biodegradable Qualatex latex balloons supplied by Pioneer. (Click here for their latest catalog) .

Unlike foil balloons, latex balloons can be easily stretched and manipulated. That’s what helps balloon artists twist and turn them into all shapes and forms.

Latex balloons filled with air maintain their size and shape much longer than when filled with helium. That’s because the helium gas escapes through small pores in the latex, which are larger than the helium atoms. Latex balloons can, however, be treated with a hi-float gel that makes them less porous and slows down the rate at which helium escapes from the balloon.

Regular latex balloons filled with helium make nice colorful bouquets or giveaways to guests at parties, lasting for a day or so.

Gravitas’ suppliers for foil balloons are: Pioneer (Qualatex) - (Click here for their latest catalog), Conver USA - (Click here for their latest catalog), and Northstar Balloons.

Unlike rubber balloons, foil balloons are not elastic. They are made of thin, un-stretchable, aluminized plastic films - which allow colored, detailed pictures to be printed on their surfaces without the risk of being distorted upon inflation. Foil balloons are also very lightweight, which gives them more buoyancy; and their less permeable material holds helium in for 5 days and longer.

Foil balloons will contract in cold temperatures but will regain their shape when brought back into a warm environment. More importantly, they are non-allergenic, which makes them welcome at hospitals.

Foil balloons can be recycled and reused. When the celebration is over, they can be deflated, folded neatly, stored and re-inflated at a later occasion.

The most popular size is the 18" round balloon, although hundreds of creative shapes, designs and sizes are now pouring out of manufacturers, and us!

Balloon Accessories Inflators, regulators, pumps, weights, and safe sticks are only some of the indispensable tools for manipulating balloons distributed - Premium Balloon Accessories - (Click here for their latest catalog).

Gravitas provides washable, hypoallergenic and non-toxic “Snazaroo” face-painting material, especially formulated to be gentle on the skin and fragrance-free. “Snazaroo” are known to use only ingredients that are fully compliant with EU & FDA toy and cosmetic regulations.

Tips for safe face painting:

Improper face paint can cause rashes, allergic reactions, or may even incur permanent damage in extreme cases. Using face paint that is cosmetic grade and contains only EU and FDA compliant materials is essential. The following items should also be avoided in face painting:

• Watercolor pencils, markers, pens. They may be "washable" on fabric, but that does not mean they are OK for skin.
• Acrylic craft paints. They may be labeled "non-toxic" but that does not make them skin safe.
• Oil-based paints. They are difficult to remove and smear easily.
• Craft glitters. These can be made of metal and can scratch sensitive skin and eyes.

From the French word “ballon”, meaning large ball, which was probably derived from the Latin word “ballone”, or the old German “balla” meaning ball.

The first balloons were made out of animal bladders and intestines. They were often used by clowns who would manipulate them into amusing shapes for entertainment.

The first rubber balloons called "caoutchoucs" were invented by Michael Faraday in 1824 and used in his experiments with hydrogen. He made his balloons simply by cutting out two sheets of rubber, placing them on top of each other and pressing the edges together. The sticky rubber welded automatically and he rubbed the inside of the balloon with flour to prevent the opposing surfaces from joining together.

Today's more familiar latex balloons, made from a highly flexible substance extracted from plants, were first manufactured in London in 1847, by J.G. Ingram, but it was only in the 1930s that latex balloons started to be mass-produced.

Balloons are used in meteorology, medicine, military defense, transportation, and many other technical areas thanks to their low density and relatively low cost. Galileo, for instance, inflated a pig's bladder in an experiment to measure the weight of air.

On September 18, 2006, three Engineering students at Cambridge University made the headlines after they successfully sent a camera to the edge of space for less than £1,000 using a helium balloon. They simply attached the tiny camera to a large helium balloon, which flew to nearly four times the height of Mount Everest. As the balloon rose, it expanded and exactly two hours after lift-off, at an altitude of 32.2km above sea level, it burst, releasing the camera which was brought back to earth by parachute with images showing the curvature of the Earth.

Although helium is a non-toxic, non-flammable gas that occurs naturally in the air we breathe, huffing it from a balloon can cut off oxygen supply or can cause a fatal embolism if a person inhales too deeply. Death is too high of a price to pay to sound like a Chipmunk.

Foil helium balloons can last up to 2 weeks indoors, just as long as regular air-filled balloons if left in a cool shaded room. Latex helium balloons can last around 18 to 24 hours, or up to 2 weeks if filled with Ultra Hi-FLOAT.