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Each glass bead used in my jewelry
is handmade through a process called “lampworking.” (In
the old days a modified alcohol lamp was used
and the name stuck.) First, a glass rod
is heated to 1700 degrees in the small flame
of a torch. The tip of the rod warms up
until it attains the consistency of honey. The
molten glass is wound onto a thin metal rod called
a mandrel, where it is shaped and formed with
tools to attain the desired shape. Upon
completion, the bead is annealed in
a kiln at 970 degrees to stabilize its molecular
activity and slowly cool to room temperature. Each
bead is then removed from the mandrel and combined
with sterling silver to make Eye Candy Jewelry! Check
out the “classes” section
of my website it you’d like to learn to
make delicious glass beads like these, and scroll
the page to see more jewels! |
