The ancient art of lampworking was widely used in Italy in the 1300s. From there it spread to the rest of Europe and eventually further afield to the Americas and the rest of the world. Today there are lampwork bead artists found in most countries in the world.
Today many of these artisans choose to work from home studios. They take great pride in producing one-of-a-kind beads, marbles and other glass objects. They love what they are doing and are often prepared to offer quality guarantees to their customers. Some are well known for their special style that has developed through many years of studying and making beads.
The most commonly used types of glass are soda-lime and borosilicate. The first is soft and comes in many colors. Borosilicate is hard, more expensive and fewer colors are available. It also needs a higher temperature requiring use of larger torches and oxygen instead of air. However, it is less likely to crack.
Unlike glass blowers who require a furnace, these artisans use torches. A torch may be attached to a bench for a more stationary flame whilst a hand held one offers heat that can be maneuvered. A wire called a mandrel is used and it is coated with a substance that prevents the glass from sticking to it. A pick made of tungsten allows holes to be bored in beads and a reamer made of graphite is used to enlarge them. A kiln is necessary for annealing the beads.
It is important for a lampworker to introduce a glass rod slowly into the flame so as not to break it. The mandrel is dipped into a releaser so molten glass does not stick to it. It is heated and rotated while the molten glass is wound onto it, forming the base for the bead. The combination of the heat, gravity and use of several tools go into creating the shape of beads.
Decorating and embellishing of the beads comes next with many different materials and techniques used for this. Gold, silver and other metals may be applied in forms such as metal leaf, mesh or wire. A technique called striking is used to apply colors with a silver base. The surface may have fibers of glass melted onto it.
Beads are also embellished once they have cooled down. They may be sandblasted, polished or etched with acid giving a matte finish. They can even be faceted by using a grinder. The process of annealing glass in a kiln is necessary as if it is cooled too slowly it undergoes stress. This means it breaks immediately or it can do so in the future. Many mass produced items are not put through this step at all or it is not done properly.
Beads created one by one in this manner may be expensive but the quality is far superior to any mass produced product. Mass produced items are often not cleaned properly with releasing agent left in a holes and releasing hazardous dust. They may not be properly finished, leaving rough edges on holes so that stringing material is easily cut through. Quality beads create quality jewelry that can be sold at a higher price.
Today many of these artisans choose to work from home studios. They take great pride in producing one-of-a-kind beads, marbles and other glass objects. They love what they are doing and are often prepared to offer quality guarantees to their customers. Some are well known for their special style that has developed through many years of studying and making beads.
The most commonly used types of glass are soda-lime and borosilicate. The first is soft and comes in many colors. Borosilicate is hard, more expensive and fewer colors are available. It also needs a higher temperature requiring use of larger torches and oxygen instead of air. However, it is less likely to crack.
Unlike glass blowers who require a furnace, these artisans use torches. A torch may be attached to a bench for a more stationary flame whilst a hand held one offers heat that can be maneuvered. A wire called a mandrel is used and it is coated with a substance that prevents the glass from sticking to it. A pick made of tungsten allows holes to be bored in beads and a reamer made of graphite is used to enlarge them. A kiln is necessary for annealing the beads.
It is important for a lampworker to introduce a glass rod slowly into the flame so as not to break it. The mandrel is dipped into a releaser so molten glass does not stick to it. It is heated and rotated while the molten glass is wound onto it, forming the base for the bead. The combination of the heat, gravity and use of several tools go into creating the shape of beads.
Decorating and embellishing of the beads comes next with many different materials and techniques used for this. Gold, silver and other metals may be applied in forms such as metal leaf, mesh or wire. A technique called striking is used to apply colors with a silver base. The surface may have fibers of glass melted onto it.
Beads are also embellished once they have cooled down. They may be sandblasted, polished or etched with acid giving a matte finish. They can even be faceted by using a grinder. The process of annealing glass in a kiln is necessary as if it is cooled too slowly it undergoes stress. This means it breaks immediately or it can do so in the future. Many mass produced items are not put through this step at all or it is not done properly.
Beads created one by one in this manner may be expensive but the quality is far superior to any mass produced product. Mass produced items are often not cleaned properly with releasing agent left in a holes and releasing hazardous dust. They may not be properly finished, leaving rough edges on holes so that stringing material is easily cut through. Quality beads create quality jewelry that can be sold at a higher price.
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