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I've been creating glass beads now since 2003 and have been designing jewelry since 2000.
I find this art medium very exhilarating and challenging! Each glass bead is unique within itself.
I am a self representing glass artist, meaning I create and sell my own work. Self-Representing Artists take pride in their work and have spent considerable time learning and perfecting our craft. We create in our private studios, stake our personal reputation on the quality of our work, and constantly strive to provide you with unique and innovative designs. Our Beads are properly Kiln annealed for strength, stability and resilience.
Lampwork beads are typically made from soften glass rods which are wrapped around stainless steel mandrels, shaped and decorated. The mandrel then becomes the bead’s hole.
Because glass shrinks as it cools stress can form within the glass causing cracks and breakage, most stress is invisible to the naked eye. It is important to eliminate this stress by annealing the beads in a kiln. The annealing process soaks the bead at a designated temperature to relieve any internal stress, and then slowly cools the bead to prevent any new stress from developing. A bead that is not kiln annealed WILL break. A bead that is kiln annealed with be much less likely to break, but it's still glass and you must take care. You will be happy to know all of my beads are properly kiln annealed.
Mass produced and imported beads, in many circumstances have not been cleaned or properly annealed which makes there strength questionable. While the quality of imported lampwork beads has improved, There are still imperfections that may be significant, They are not made with the care and attention to detail you can expect from artist made beads.
Artist-made beads are beads made by hand in a studio by an individual artist and are not mass-produced.
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