PART I

Step 1. Make a simple circle with your circular marquee tool. Red makes for a nice colour, but you can go with anything you like.

Step 2. Give the circle an innerglow layer effect, just change the glow colour to black and blendmode to multiply. Why am i using the inner glow instead of inner shadow? Because the inner glow doesn't have an angular deflection, and thus is easily uniform.

Step 3. Load the selection from the circular area and on a new layer drag the linear gradient (white to transparent) downwards from top (close to the bottom but completely to the bottom)

Step 4. Now press Ctrl/Cmd + T (shortkey) to transform the white gradient. Drag the handles to bring it upwards halfway through, and drag it in a bit from the top and sides.

Create a merge composite layer: Hide the background layer - Create a new blank layer on top and then press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+E (Option+Cmd+Shift+E on Mac) to create a merged layer on top.

PART II

Step 5. Take the merged layer and create a circular seclection above. The circle should be much larger than the original circle. Again use your eyes to tell you what seems right, then copy the section and paste it into a new layer. This creates the top portion of the orb. Place it again in the proper exact position.

Step 6. Now to go onto the base of the orb. In a new layer create an eliptical shape that fits into the lower half of the circle. Duplicate this layer and reduce the size a little, as shown in fig 6.

Step 7. Select the larger ellipse layer and load its selection by pressing Ctrl/Cmd and clicking on the layer thumbnail. Now select the cylindrical gradient tool and going with the grey-white-grey-white colour combo, drag across.

Step 8. Duplicate this layer too and bring the duplicate upwards, as shown. Now place the white small portion up above the actual gradiated layer. Place it as shown in fig.8. Link both layers and reduce their size by a bit, so that the outer gradiated ellipse is just a bit within the red circle.

PART III

Step 9. Take the duplicated gradient layer and again select it, now giving it a slightly different gradient of greys and whites. Now bring the duplicated gradient layer down. Arrange it beneath both the outer layers, and position as shown in fig.9. It should be visible from both sides as it is the rim of the orb.

Step 10. Now to remove the portions of the orb that aren't required. As before by keeping Ctrl/Cmd pressed and clicking on the layer thumbnails; first select the large outer rim ellipse (with the grey gradient) and then Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+Click on the thumbnail of the upper top portion layer (created in Step 5)

You will now have the 2 ellipses selected. We want to also select the bottom portion of the orb. Choose the Rectangular Marquee tool, hold down shift and dag over the bottom portion. Inverse the selection (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+I) and delete the middle portion of the orb. The figure should like as it is in Fig.10.

Step 11. Now to create the glass portion. Create a circle of the same size of the orb, any colour you want. Place it behind the other layers.

Step 12. As with the initial outer orb, give it the same kind of innerglow effect, and now bring it forward so as to cover all but the red outer portions of the orb.

TO BE CONTINUED....PLEASE HAVE PATIENCE...