Ashes to Glass

The Memorial Bead Making Process

A little bit of history...Lampworking is an age-old art of working glass cane or “rods” over an open flame. Originally, an oil lamp was used and the flame was stoked with an air bellows to focus heat and melt the glass. Hence, the "lampwork" name.

Today, lampworking is done by using gas torches with specialized burner heads. The fascination that accompanies the melting of glass remains, and the name “lampworking” is a reminder that this highly refined craft has a very old and basic origin. Once again, we owe gratitude to the marvels of Italian glass artists/chemists who formed the basis of what we know now.

Modern lampworking involves heating glass rods over a flame, then wrapping that molten glass over a mandrel.  The mandrel is a stainless steal rod that has been pre-coated with a chalky dip that allows the bead to release from the rod once the piece is finished.

A bead artist holds the mandrel in one hand and a glass rod in the other. As the glass softens in the flame, it is wrapped around the mandrel to form a bead. With constant rotation of the mandrel, the molten bead is born with an artistic symmetry.  Additional layers of glass are applied in the same fashion to add color, shape and texture to the bead.

During this process, we scatter ashes in between the layers of hot glass. Clear, melted glass is then worked on top of the ash, encasing the glass globe. This adds depth and extra strenghth to the bead.

Once the "glass" portion of the bead is completed, it is placed in an annealing kiln for controlled cooling to prevent thermal shock, or “cracking of the bead”. Cooling the bead can be a lengthy process, but it ensures that each bead will be able to endure for years to come.

After hours in the kiln and the bead has cooled, it is removed from the mandrel. It is then cleaned and readied for wiring. The jewelry process following the glass process is another chapter :-)