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02/07/12

Handcrafted lampwork beads are a popular jewelry component. You'll find them in many necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry, on the Internet and in local stores where jewelry artisans sell their wares.

The quality of any handcrafted item is equal to the expertise of its maker and lampwork beads are no exception to that rule. Choose beaded jewelry in a style you like, but remember that style isn't the only thing you must consider when buying handcrafted glass beads.

How Hot Glass Cools
I don't understand all the physical and chemical reasons why molten glass behaves as it does, but I understand the concept enough to explain the basics of lampwork beadmaking.

Lampworkers use a torch to melt the tips of glass rods, then wind the molten glass around a mandrel, a narrow stainless steel rod. Later, when the bead is removed, the space occupied by the mandrel becomes the hole used to string the bead.

Glass cools from the outside in and the outer layers shrink as cooling takes place. Bringing a bead out of the flame and leaving it in the open air allows the outside of the bead to cool rapidly around its molten interior. A stress point develops between the cool, shrinking glass and the hot center. The stress can cause a bead to crack, either immediately or at a later time.

Beads Should Be Kiln Annealed
To prevent cracks, beads must be annealed then slowly cooled. The best way to do this is in a kiln, where temperatures can be closely regulated. The beadmaker anneals, or "soaks" the beads to make sure that all glass within them is the same temperature.

The soaking temperature is high enough for glass to flow on some molecular level, but not so high that the bead ends up in a puddle on the kiln floor. After annealing, the artist begins to reduce the heat in the kiln, taking several hours to bring the beads to room temperature.

This process produces glass beads with less stress, so they're less likely to crack. Very small glass beads are sometimes slowly cooled between layers of insulation. It's not the same as annealing, but the process is usually successful because the small amount of glass in tiny beads cools at a more even rate.

Questions You Should Ask About Lampwork Beads

* Were the beads used in the jewelry kiln annealed?

* How long has the artisan been making beads? (The answer may be helpful, but remember that some people learn quickly while others never do.)

* Has the beadmaker sold their work on ebay or another online auction where you can check buyer feedback? How about other buyer referrals?

* Does the seller guarantee the beads?

Cracks and Other Problems
The photo above right is one of the first beads my mom made in a basic workshop. It contains a lot of glass and I'm sure the outer layers cooled too much before it was placed in the kiln—and the kiln wasn't quite hot enough to begin with. It's out of round and has several cracks. It's not a bead that can be used in jewelry, but she keeps it around as an example of things that can go wrong.

Some beadmakers use air bubbles as design elements, but they are normally round or positioned in specific areas. If you're not sure about visible bubbles, ask about them.

The bead hole should be free of nicks or burrs. Jagged edges around the bead hole can eventually cut through beading wire.

Overall Appearance
Are the shapes of beads pleasing? They're handcrafted, so expect some variations—that's part of their charm, but the overall look should be attractive and the sides should fit nicely against other beads used in the piece. A wobbly bead like the problem example above probably won't work well in beaded jewelry.

Bead Release Should Be Removed
If you're buying a finished piece of jewelry, you might not be able to examine the hole through the bead. The lampworker should have removed the gritty bead release that was used to coat the mandrel in order to make the bead easy to remove.

Finding Lampwork Beads
A good way to preview the work of lampwork bead artists is to view ebay listings. That's a fantastic way to see many styles at once and to check the feedback ratings for each artist to find out if buyers have been happy with their purchases.

Most beadmakers develop their own style of beads. Some make jewelry, others would rather make the beads and sell them to jewelry makers for use in their projects. Explore some of the links above right if you'd like to see the different ways that glass beads are incorporated into jewelry.

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