Lampwork Beads - Put These to Work for You!

Lampwork Beads -- Choose These for Your Own Designs!

Call or email now so that you can be on your way toward creating your designs with your own unique individually handcrafted beads. 

I use glass from many different companies and manufacturers.  There is Effetre (Moretti) and Murano from Italy; Glass Alchemy, North Star and Bullseye from the United States; Satake from Japan and Lauscha from Germany.  In my studio, I create my own beads using the ancient technique of lampworking.  Making each bead individually using either glass rods or strips I cut from sheet glass, I work the molten glass in a propane-oxygen flame at temperatures in excess of 3000 degrees F.  I then anneal the beads in my kiln for five hours or more.  The kiln has a computerized controller that is programmed to run the entire cycle of keeping the bead at a soaking temperature of 960°to 1110°F for a predetermined period of time that is appropriate to the size of the bead, the type of glass and, in the case of the striking colors of glass, for the desired color effect and then slowly cooling them at a programmed rate until they reach room temperature.

After soaking the beads in water to loosen the bead release, they are removed from their stainless steel mandrels and cleaned of the separator using diamond files.

You'll love their jewel-like colors that are a result of complex formulations of metallic oxides such as cobalt, gold, silver, and tin.  In addition to various luster powders, I also use gold, silver, and palladium leaf in combination with various colors of glass and enamels to create a luxurious effect.