How are lampwork beads made?
The answer to this could fill books! So, I’ll give you the simplified version. Glass rods are melted in a torch. Once molten, the glass is applied to a steel mandrel (thin rod). Most of the time, each color you see on the bead has been individually placed there by the artist. Many different rods of colored glass can be used on just one bead. One hand holds the mandrel and slowly keeps the bead turning, while the other hand adds glass or manipulates the hot glass. It can be a fine balancing act! Sometimes I use copper, gold or silver foil in my beads. Each element has a different effect and some are quite unexpected. After the bead is formed, it garaged in the kiln until the end of the day when all are annealed. After the beads are cooled, they must be removed from the mandrels, and the bead release cleaned from the holes.
