What is lampwork?

The glass is melted in the flame of the torch and wound around a metal rod that has been coated with a clay-based substance. While the glass is in it’s molten state it can be pushed, poked, cut and formed into the desired shape. Once the desired shape has been achieved and while the bead is still hot, it can be decorated with glass, enamels and metals. When the desired look of the bead has been achieved, it is placed in a pre-heated kiln and annealed.

Annealing is a process that utilizes a kiln to slowly bring the hot glass to room temperature. The annealing process is an important step to assure that stress has been removed from the glass to create a durable bead that is less likely to crack or break. Mass produced beads are rarely kiln-annealed. The cooled bead is then soaked in water to dissolve and loosen the clay substance. The bead is removed from the metal rod whereby leaving the bead hole. The bead hole is cleaned with a Diamond Head reamer to remove all of the clay substance from inside the hole. The characteristics to look for in a quality kiln-annealed bead are nice shape, no cracks, firmly attached decorations, and a clean bead hole that has smooth edges. A quality made bead gives a lifetime of beauty and durability.