About Lampwork Beads
Click HERE for How-To's on Cubic Zirconias and Silver Riveting
What should you look for when buying lampwork beads?
There are a lot of beads out there. New beadmakers are popping up with websites
and ebay listings every day. But not all lampwork beads are created equal.
There are a few simple things to look for that will tell the difference between
good quality lampwork beads and inferior junk beads.
1.
The most important thing isn't visible. I'm talking about "annealing".
When glass is heated and shaped in the flame, the molecules are scrambled and stress is trapped
inside the bead. With proper annealing in a kiln, the beads are held at the correct annealing temperature for the type of glass used, and then cooled very slowly to room temperature,
realigning the glass molecules, releasing the stress, and making the beads strong and durable.
Beads that are not properly annealed are not reliable. They might appear to be of good quality,
and might last for years, but could also crack spontaneously at any moment.
When glass is heated and shaped in the flame, the molecules are scrambled and stress is trapped
inside the bead. With proper annealing in a kiln, the beads are held at the correct annealing temperature for the type of glass used, and then cooled very slowly to room temperature,
realigning the glass molecules, releasing the stress, and making the beads strong and durable.
Beads that are not properly annealed are not reliable. They might appear to be of good quality,
and might last for years, but could also crack spontaneously at any moment.
If
you want your beads to last, you need to be sure the artist is
annealing them.
Don't be afraid to ask! Most professional beadmakers anneal each day as we go along, "soaking" the beads in a hot kiln all day as we work, and then cooling them all down at the same time in an overnight process. Some prefer to "batch anneal", which means to carefully cool several days worth of work in fiber blankets, and when there's enough to warrant firing up the kiln, all the beads are slowly heated from room temperature to annealing temperature, soaked for a period of time, and then cooled slowly back to room temperature.
Batch annealing is fine, as long as it's done right. Never buy beads that are "flame annealed" or only cooled in a fiber blanket or a can of vermiculite. None of these remove the stress from the glass!
Don't be afraid to ask! Most professional beadmakers anneal each day as we go along, "soaking" the beads in a hot kiln all day as we work, and then cooling them all down at the same time in an overnight process. Some prefer to "batch anneal", which means to carefully cool several days worth of work in fiber blankets, and when there's enough to warrant firing up the kiln, all the beads are slowly heated from room temperature to annealing temperature, soaked for a period of time, and then cooled slowly back to room temperature.
Batch annealing is fine, as long as it's done right. Never buy beads that are "flame annealed" or only cooled in a fiber blanket or a can of vermiculite. None of these remove the stress from the glass!
2.
Cracks are bad. A cracked bead will very likely break in two at some
point. Just don't buy them!
Every now and then I'll have a bead that cracks because I've mixed things that don't play well together.
I throw them in the Rio Grande, or the ocean when I visit the coast.
Every now and then I'll have a bead that cracks because I've mixed things that don't play well together.
I throw them in the Rio Grande, or the ocean when I visit the coast.
3.
Check the holes for nice smooth indentations, know as "dimples" or
"puckers". There should be no sharp edges that can cut through your
stringing material. Sometimes small bits will be ground down by the
artist, and that's usually okay, as long as it's got a smooth finish.
Pick beads up and feel them.
Good holes practically disappear under your fingers.
Good holes practically disappear under your fingers.
4. Next check for balance. Your beads should be centered and should
spin evenly on a mandrel or wire. The exception is a bead that's intentionally
made to hang in a certain way, such as a drop shape.
5. "Chill marks" are the little ripples that happen on a bead's surface when cold tools
are used to shape the hot glass. You don't want them! Be sure the surface of
your beads have been "fire polished" until they're nice and smooth.
6.
General appearance is important. If you love a bead, even though it
might not be perfect in
every way, maybe you'll want to buy it anyway. Sometimes what the artist sees as
every way, maybe you'll want to buy it anyway. Sometimes what the artist sees as
a flaw will be an endearing quirk to you. Nothing wrong with that.
Often the weird little beads will become parts of amazing pieces of jewelry.
A talented designer can see through to the beauty of the strangest beads!
Why are Focal Beads so special?
I usually put lampwork beads into one of two categories. Focal Beads and Other Beads.
Focals
tend to be large and complex. They need to be held and pondered
and moved this way and that, and seen in different types of light to
really appreciate them. These beads are more than just beads. They can,
of course, be worked into some pretty amazing jewelry, but the real
beauty is that they can stand alone. I know people who display them in
special cabinets in their homes. I like to make them into relatively
simple pendants, so they don't have to compete for attention.
Sometimes one great bead is all you need.
Sometimes one great bead is all you need.
To me, these are the Art of what I do. They require the most of me, creatively,
energetically, and spiritually, and frankly, I don't always have the inner stuff to make them.
What
I call "other beads" are what fill in the gaps in my days, as well as
in some truly fabulous jewelry. They're most often spacers, but
commonly with embellishment. They're usually small, and while they're
quite nice on their own, the real strength is when they're grouped
together.
With small, simple beads, it's not about the individual, but the sum of the parts.
It's less about the "self" of each bead, and more about the "community".
With small, simple beads, it's not about the individual, but the sum of the parts.
It's less about the "self" of each bead, and more about the "community".
I'm
completely in love with both types of beads. They all have their place
- in history, in jewelry,
and in my own collection. No need to play favorites. They're beads, not sports cars.
We can have them, wear them, love them. And while we can't drive them to the
grocery store, we can take them inside to help us shop!and in my own collection. No need to play favorites. They're beads, not sports cars.
We can have them, wear them, love them. And while we can't drive them to the
