What exactly is Lampworking?

Lampworking is an ancient process which originally used wax or oil lamps to melt glass hence the name “Lampwork”.

Today’s bead artist has replaced the oil lamp with a fuel and oxygen torch and each bead is created from the inside

out by first carefully heating the coloured glass rods to temperatures up to 1700F degrees.

Molten glass is then wrapped around a steel rod called a mandrel and into tiny works of art.

The beads are formed, decorated and finished in the flame, then placed in a

high temperature digitally controlled kiln to anneal and cool slowly for many hours to ensure strength and longevity.

Each and every bead is individually created one at a time, so no two are ever exactly alike.

That particular characteristic has contributed to the growing popularity of lampwork

glass beads, as well as the freedom of the glass artist to be shamelessly creative and work without boundaries.