The ancient art of lampworking was widely used in Italy in the 1300s. From there it spread to the rest of Europe and eventually further afield to the Americas and the rest of the world. Today there are lampwork bead artists found in most countries in the world.
Today many of these artisans choose to work from home studios. They take great pride in producing one-of-a-kind beads, marbles and other glass objects. They love what they are doing and are often prepared to offer quality guarantees to their customers. Some are well known for their special style that has developed through many years of studying and making beads.
The most commonly used types of glass are soda-lime and borosilicate. The first is soft and comes in many colors. Borosilicate is hard, more expensive and fewer colors are available. It also needs a higher temperature requiring use of larger torches and oxygen instead of air. However, it is less likely to crack.
The tools used by these artisans are similar to those used by glass blowers. The glass comes in the form of glass rods. A torch with a stationary flame may be attached to a bench while a hand torch offers more flexibility of movement. Molten glass is wound onto a stainless wire called a mandrel. A tungsten pick may be used to bore holes in beads while a reamer made of graphite on a handle helps to enlarge them. A kiln is required to anneal the glass.
A glass rod has to be slowly introduced to a flame so that it does not crack due to thermal shock. The mandrel is coated with a releaser like boron nitride so that the final product is easily removed. Both the glass rod and the mandrel are heated and the mandrel is rotated so as to wind the molten glass onto it.
Beads are embellished and decorated using many different materials and techniques. Sometimes glass fibers are melted onto the base. Metals like copper, silver and gold are added in the form of mesh, leaves or wires. Striking is a technique used to apply colors with a silver base. Fuming is heating metal until it forms particles on glass, changing the color.
There are also techniques used for working with the beads once they have cooled. They may be etched with acid for a matte finish, sandblasted, faceted with grinders and polished or even painted. These techniques offer a whole range of creative possibilities. Annealing is a process of cooling down glass at the correct temperature. If it is cooled down too slowly, glass has stress and it can crack immediately, after a month or even after a few years. Mass produced glass objects may not be subjected to proper annealing and some are not annealed at all.
The beads produced by these artisan lampworkers are quality items that have been cleaned, annealed and finished off properly, unlike many mass produced products. These products often still have remnants of releasing agents producing a hazardous dust and the holes are roughly finished. The beads made by an artist are more costly but they are well worth the extra price and the jewelry made from these beads is worth more.
Today many of these artisans choose to work from home studios. They take great pride in producing one-of-a-kind beads, marbles and other glass objects. They love what they are doing and are often prepared to offer quality guarantees to their customers. Some are well known for their special style that has developed through many years of studying and making beads.
The most commonly used types of glass are soda-lime and borosilicate. The first is soft and comes in many colors. Borosilicate is hard, more expensive and fewer colors are available. It also needs a higher temperature requiring use of larger torches and oxygen instead of air. However, it is less likely to crack.
The tools used by these artisans are similar to those used by glass blowers. The glass comes in the form of glass rods. A torch with a stationary flame may be attached to a bench while a hand torch offers more flexibility of movement. Molten glass is wound onto a stainless wire called a mandrel. A tungsten pick may be used to bore holes in beads while a reamer made of graphite on a handle helps to enlarge them. A kiln is required to anneal the glass.
A glass rod has to be slowly introduced to a flame so that it does not crack due to thermal shock. The mandrel is coated with a releaser like boron nitride so that the final product is easily removed. Both the glass rod and the mandrel are heated and the mandrel is rotated so as to wind the molten glass onto it.
Beads are embellished and decorated using many different materials and techniques. Sometimes glass fibers are melted onto the base. Metals like copper, silver and gold are added in the form of mesh, leaves or wires. Striking is a technique used to apply colors with a silver base. Fuming is heating metal until it forms particles on glass, changing the color.
There are also techniques used for working with the beads once they have cooled. They may be etched with acid for a matte finish, sandblasted, faceted with grinders and polished or even painted. These techniques offer a whole range of creative possibilities. Annealing is a process of cooling down glass at the correct temperature. If it is cooled down too slowly, glass has stress and it can crack immediately, after a month or even after a few years. Mass produced glass objects may not be subjected to proper annealing and some are not annealed at all.
The beads produced by these artisan lampworkers are quality items that have been cleaned, annealed and finished off properly, unlike many mass produced products. These products often still have remnants of releasing agents producing a hazardous dust and the holes are roughly finished. The beads made by an artist are more costly but they are well worth the extra price and the jewelry made from these beads is worth more.
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