Lampwork beads are individual beads made from molten glass by a glass bead artist.  They are called lampwork beads because they are made by using single rods of glass melted over a torch flame.  The torch can be oxygen/propane, MAPP gas, or occasionally another gas mix.  The artist holds a metal rod in one hand, and the glass rod in the other hand, and slowly melts the glass around the metal rod in the pattern that they want to make.

There are two main glass types that are used, Murano glass or other similar glass which can be melted at a lower temperature, and boroscilicate glass which needs a higher temperature torch.  The Murano beads usually have brighter colors, while the boroscilicate beads have more subtle earthy tones.  The glass comes in transparent and opaque colors, and most glass artists experiment to get different effects with the glass.

Lampwork beads are expensive because each bead is handmade.  Most experienced artists prefer to use the boroscilicate glass because it can be made to do more interesting things than the softer Murano glass.  One of the best places to buy lampwork glass beads is on Ebay, but it is important to know the vendors you are buying from to make sure that they are really handmade.

The term lampwork implies handmade so if they are not handmade, they are not really lampwork.

One of my favorite lampwork artists is from here in Ohio.  His name is Daniel Echeverry.  He sells his beads on Ebay only, so that is the only place to find him, unless you see him at a show.  His lampwork is exquisite, which you can see above.  His color combinations are just truly artwork in the finest sense.

Creating lampwork beads can be done by any trained person, but creating a beautiful glass design in the lampwork bead that will appeal to jewelry buyers is very difficult. Combining glass means that you have to know the chemical properties of the different glass colors, and how they will react together when combined.

It is very difficult maintaining the molten bead while adding glass or changing the shape of the bead. The artist has to continuously spin the metal rod with the forming bead to keep it round while adding glass or design elements to the bead. The glass has to be kept hot enough to blend, and to keep it from cracking. Glass has to be heated and cooled slowly because if you do it too quickly, the glass will crack from temperature shock.

In addition, the artistic design element is necessary to create a beautiful piece of art.

Large beads are very hard to make, because the glass has to be added slowly, and has to be kept at an even temperature.  If the glass in the middle of the bead is too much hotter than the outside of the bead, that causes the bead to crack also.  Sometimes, the bead won't crack immediately while being created, but afterwards when it is completely cool.

After a bead has been made on the torch, the artist has to anneal the bead.  Annealling means that the bead is kept at a temperature for several hours that makes the bead stronger.  A bead that has been made correctly and annealled properly will not break easily.  If the bead does break easily, then there was most likely something wrong with its creation.

Lampwork bead artists create the hole in the bead by having the metal rod in the center of the bead.  Wherever the rod is, is where the hole will be.  To keep the glass from sticking to the metal rod, the artist will dip the rod into a separation product usually a liquid or paste, dry it on the metal, then apply the glass.  Creating a proper hole in the bead is one of the first thing that lampwork bead artists learn to do.  If the hole is not made correctly, the edges of the bead will be sharp enough to cut skin or the wire the bead is put on.

Lampwork has its dangers.  Artists should wear goggles to protect their eyesight, as well as work in a well ventilated area.  It is important to clamp the torch down properly, and keep hands away from the open flame, molten glass, and heated metal rod.  It is easy to burn hands or a work surface, and also easy to get cut on the cold glass.  No matter what gas powers a torch, the artist can become dizzy from inhaling too much.  But even with these dangers, the art of making lampwork glass beads is well worth the time to learn as a hobby or profession.