Lampwork Beads

Lampworking is an age-old art of working glass cane, also referred to as glass rods, over an open flame. Originally an oil lamp was used and the flame was stoked with air bellows to focus heat and melt the glass. By the beginning of the fifteenth century this new technique was being used all across Europe. Lampworking, as we know it today, had been born. Gas torches with specialized burner heads have replaced the oil lamps but the fascination that accompanies the melting of glass remains and the name lampworking is a reminder that this highly refined craft has a very old and basic origin.

Modern lampworking involves heating glass rods in an open flame until nearly molten. The hot glass is then wrapped around a stainless steel rod called a mandrel. The glass, when held in the open flame, can be shaped into small objects such as beads, marbles, vessels,

and sculptures.Glass bead artists use this basic process to create an amazing array of beautiful, unique, and sometimes quirky beads. A bead artist will hold the mandrel in one hand and a glass rod in the other. The glass rod is held in the flame long enough to melt the tip. As the glass softens it is wrapped around the mandrel to form a bead. The artist continues to rotate the mandrel to shape the molten bead. Additional layers of glass are applied in the same fashion to add color, shape and texture to the bead.

The mandrel acts as a handle and allows the artist to maintain heat control. By carefully rotating the mandrel, the molten bead can be shaped with precise symmetry. The rotating action creates

the shape of the bead and keeps the molten glass from sagging off the mandrel. Additional colors of glass are often added to the bead to decorate it and create unlimited design possibilities. Once the bead is completed, it must be placed in an annealing oven for controlled cooling to prevent thermal shock, or cracking of the bead. Cooling the bead can be a lengthy process, however it ensures that each bead will be able to endure for years to come.

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