How to make glass beads

The term "lampwork" is used to describe handcrafted glass beads that are made by melting glass rods with a torch. And no, the beads are not used on lamps (unless you want to use them on lamps). The word "lamp" is a nod to ancient times when the glass was melted with the flame of an oil lamp. Nowadays, the craft is also called "flameworking". Some people call it "glassblowing" which for the most part is a misnomer when referring to beads.

Lampwork beads vary in style from artist to artist. They can be elegant, flowery, whimsical, tribal, rustic, contemporary - the number of styles is only limited by the imagination of the artists.

Lampwork beads are typically used in jewelry, but can be used in objects as well, such as drawer knobs, candlesticks, pens, serving utensils, and more.

Stay tuned for the next module, which will be an overview of how lampwork beads are made. Same bead-time; Same bead-channel.

It is a running joke how often lampworkers are asked "How did you get that real flower in there?" or "Did you paint that yourself?" But to someone who has never been exposed to handcrafted glass beads, it is difficult to imagine how glass beads are made (and just to be safe, no - they are not painted, and no - there are not real flowers in a bead!)

A lampworker typically has a studio (usually in their home) that is stocked with his or her equipment and tools as well as oodles of glass and frit (frit is simply ground up glass sometimes used for decorating a bead). The glass is purchased by the pound and comes in rods that typically measure about 13 inches long and have a quarter inch diameter.

The beadmaker lights up her torch and heats the kiln, and flashes her mandrel (that has been coated with a layer of bead release) in the flame. Then, the glass is slowly warmed up in the edge of the flame and eventually heated up to a near-molten state.

The hot glass is applied to the mandrel, and the beadmaker skillfully rotates the mandrel so it recieves an even coat of glass in the size she desires. Once she has the colors and the size she desires, she can decorate the bead with glass stringer, frit, or other decorative elements.

When the bead is complete, the beadmaker allows the bead to cool to the point where it is no longer glowing, and then inserts in in the kiln to be annealed (and NO! A fiber blanket does not properly anneal a bead!). Annealing is very important, and if you are a jewelry designer, you should be sure the lampwork beads you use are annealed for the safety (and satisfaction) of your customers.

And one thing to remember is that a lampwork bead IS made of glass, so it needs to be treated accordingly in order to prevent cracks or breakage.

Hmmm... I think I need a glossary module.

ANNEAL:
This simply means to cool the bead down in a slow and controlled manner (with a kiln). The reason lampwork beads must be annealed is because the nature of glass is such that it develops stress points and fractures when it cools off too fast and that stress can cause cracking at any time - right away to weeks or years later). Slowly cooling the bead in a kiln ensures that the bead contains the least amount of stress possible, which means the bead can last a lifetime without cracking with proper care.

A crock of vermiculite does NOT anneal lampwork beads. It may cool them slowly enough to not crack immediately, but it is not hot enough or slow enough to truly anneal them in order to reduce the internal stress fractures in the glass.

BEAD RELEASE or BEAD SEPARATOR:
A mud-like slurry that is applied to part of the mandrel and is allowed to dry. The bead release allows the bead to easily come off of the mandrel. If the molten glass is applied directly to the steel mandrel, it will be permanently bonded to the mandrel and virtually useless.

MANDREL:
A long thin steel rod that the bead is constructed on. When the bead is removed from the mandrel, a hole results.

STRINGER:
A very thin "string" of glass that a beadmaker makes by grabbing a little glob of molten glass with tweezers/pliers, then pulling it into a stringer that makes detail work easier. Well, easier with practice, anyways. It's actually kind of hard to balance a thin stringer of glass with a 2000 degree flame.

When the decision is made to start making lampwork glass beads, it is tempting to go on a shopping spree for everything you think you need. However, it is important that the first steps taken are becoming familiar with the craft so you don't stock your studio with tools and equipment that you really don't need or neglect to purchase the items that you DO need.

Some merchants would have you think it is easy to make glass beads so long as you buy their starter kit. What they don't tell you is that lampworking is a skill that is only learned with a lot of time and practice. What is worse is that certain merchants make money by teaching people how to make substandard beads that are prone to breaking.

I strongly advise that the first thing you do, before you buy any lampwork equipment or supplies, is to join a few forums dedicated to making glass beads (see my list of links below). By networking online with other bead artists, you can hear straight from the horses' mouths how the best studios are equipped. This will help you spend wisely so your initial investment isn't wasted.

1. Ventilation fan and hood

2. Torch and air/gas hoses

3. Fuel (MAPP gas or Propane/Oxygen, depending on your torch)

4. Kiln (digital controller preferred to pyrometer)

5. Rose didymium glasses (NOT clear safety glasses)

6. Mandrels

7. Bead release

8. Glass rods (start with soft glass such as Effetre, Vetrofond, Lauscha, Creation Is Messy)

9. Shaping tools (at minimum, a graphite marver and a brass "stump shaper" tool)

10. Rod nipper tool

11. Long-nose pliers or large tweezers (for pulling stringers)

If you design your own jewelry with beads, you no doubt know that there are basically two different types of lampwork beads: the artist-made beads that are expensive, and the Chinese/Indian import beads that are cheap. So, what is the difference? And why does it matter what you use in your designs?

Well, let me put in in a different terms. What is the difference between Saks and Kmart? Or the difference between Jimmy Choo's and Payless? Or the difference between a diamond and rhinestone? Do you see where I'm going here?

Basically, you get what you pay for. Read further to find out why.

THE BEADS:

Artisan beads are unique and one-of-a-kind creations that originate in the mind of an artist. Cheap imported beads are mass-produced, and are very often poor copies of artisan beads. The factories have representatives that attend bead shows and actually purchase artist beads for the purpose of shipping off to the factory and having rip-offs made.

Aesthetically speaking, artisan beads are cleaned and examined to make sure they are free of defects and cleaned of all bead release so they are immediately ready for the designer to use. The factory beads are not. They are sold with bead release still in the holes (that is the white powdery stuff), and are often cracked or have little bits broken off.

THE GLASS:

The glass rods used by bead artists is clean and clear of inclusions and the colors have depth and beauty. It is tested by the glass manufacturers to ensure it is not only high quality, but compatible with like-glass and consistent. The glass is typically made in Europe (Effetre, Vetrofond, Lauscha, etc.) or the U.S.A. (Bullseye, Double Helix, etc.), and there is at least one good brand made in Japan (Satake).

The glass used in foreign factories is made with low quality glass that looks dirty upon close inspection. No care is taken to test the glass for compatibility, resulting in breakage. Also, bead factories do not anneal their beads - for them, kilns are an unneeded expense and waste of time.

THE BEAD MAKERS:

Artisan bead artists have invested a lot of time and money into learning their craft and acquiring the proper materials and equipment so they can use their imaginations. It is because of this investment that bead prices are higher, particularly for the more experienced bead artists.

Factory bead makers are paid very little, and many factories (such as those in China and India) utilize child labor. They work in sweatshop conditions. Because a bead factory is selling to the masses, the bead makers aren't concerned with using their imagination or "creative vision" and the beads have no life to them. Their concern is simply to produce as many beads as possible, as fast as possible.

Here is an even better article about lampwork quality at The Annealer Magazine