Sandy's Glass Bead Jewelry

	Bracelets, Earrings & Necklaces Lampworked glass bead and sterling bracelets, earrings, and necklaces in various styles and endless colors
	Custom Pieces Unique and eyecatching designs to make the wearer sparkle
	Heart Jewelry Bracelets and necklaces in unique heart designs.
	Contact and Ordering Information How to reach Sandy's Beads via e-mail, phone, and postal mail
	Upcoming Shows Upcoming art show schedule

The Glass Bead Process: How to Make a Bead

Have you ever wondered about the process to make a glass bead? The glass beadmaking craft has been around for centuries, and while the tools may have changed, the art is still basically the same.

Today's beadmakers use a variety of torches to form their craft where years ago the beads were heated over oil-burning lamps, deriving the term "Lampwork." The torch I use is an oxygen propane mixture, which easily heats the glass rods to their melting point at 1600 degrees. Once the glass becomes pliable and soft, it takes on a honey-like form that can be "dripped" over a coated mandrel (a wire rod) to form the bead. You must continually turn the mandrel when the glass is in this semi-liquid state, or gravity will take the round shape out of your bead.

Once the basic glass bead is laid over the mandrel, you add additional color layers to form a design. Sometimes the surface of the bead is raked, poked, or dotted, and sometimes the bead is completely encased in clear or other colors. I also use foils and enamels to enhance the decoration on my beads. Once complete, the bead on its mandrel is put in a kiln to gradually cool over several hours. If this process is omitted, you may have a bead that is unstable over time.

Completed beads are removed from the mandrel and cleaned. The time it takes to make a bead or complete a piece of jewelry depends greatly on the detail put into each bead. I like to keep my jewelry designs simple so the focus is centered on the individual glass bead.