Lampworking is an age-old art of working glass cane or “rods” over an open flame. Originally, an oil lamp was used and the flame was stoked with an air bellows to focus heat and melt the glass.

Today, lampworking is done by using gas torches with specialized burner heads. The fascination that accompanies the melting of glass remains and the name “lampworking” is a reminder that this highly refined craft has a very old and basic origin.

Modern lampworking involves heating glass rods in an open flame until nearly molten. The hot glass is then wrapped around a stainless steel rod called a mandrel. The glass can then be shaped into a bead over the flame. As glass bead artists, we use this basic process to create an array of beautiful, unique and sometimes quirky beads.

A bead artist holds the mandrel in one hand and a glass rod in the other. As the glass softens in the flame it is wrapped around the mandrel to form a bead. Constant rotation of the mandrel shapes the molten bead with precise symmetry. Additional layers of glass are applied in the same fashion to add color, shape and texture to the bead.

During this process, we scatter ashes In between layers of hot glass. Using a different technique, ashes can also be sealed inside a hollow bead.

Once the bead is completed, it is placed in an annealing kiln for controlled cooling to prevent thermal shock, or “cracking of the bead”. Cooling the bead can be a lengthy process, but it ensures that each bead will be able to endure for years to come.

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