Lampwork Beads - The Savvy Buyer's Guide

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Knowledge is power even when you are looking at bidding and buying Lampwork beads on okay. Knowing as much about Lampwork beads as you can will help you make better choices and get the best Lampwork beads for your money and budget.
Lampwork beads are not machine made beads. Each bead is individually made by an artisan working with a small torch that is mounted on a table or bench. Modern bead makers use single or duel fuel torches that usually surface mix; that is, oxygen and fuel (typically propane, though natural gas is also gemon) is mixed as it gees out of the torch resulting in a quieter tool and cleaner flame. The artisan will have a thin metal rod, which is called a mandrel, coated in a material that prevents the hot, molten glass from sticking to the metal which later will allow the cooled bead to be removed easily. The glass rod is usually the size of a drinking straw although rod thickness can vary. The end of the rod of glass is heated in the torch and when the glass begees molten it is wound carefully around the mandrel. Other colors of glass can be added to the bead. The bead can even be sculpted or pressed into different shapes. The important thing to remember is that each bead is individually made. Another term for Lampwork beads is Flamework or Flameworked.
The very nature of glass means that there is apotential for a Lampwork bead to break. To make the finished glass bead as durable as possible it is very important that the bead is annealed. Annealing, in glassblowing and lampworking, is heating a piece of glass until its temperature reaches a stress-relief point, that is, a temperature at which the glass is still too hard to deform, but is soft enough for internal stresses to ease. The piece is then allowed to heat-soak until its temperature is even throughout; the time necessary for this varies depending on the type of glass and thickness of the thickest section. The piece is then slowly cooled at a predetermined rate until its temperature is below a critical point, at which it can no longer generate internal stresses, and then the temperature can safely be dropped to room temperature. This relieves the internal stresses, making the glass much more durable. Glass which has not been annealed will crack or even shatter when subjected to a relatively small temperature change or other shock.
When looking for Lampwork beads the auction listing should state the Lampwork beads have been kiln annealed. This is a must. If the seller does not state the Lampwork beads are annealed you should write to the seller and ask these two questions, 1. Are the Lampwork beads properly kiln annealed?2. Were the beads made by a Self Representing Artist (SRA) who actually made the beads in their own studio, or were the beads made by an artisan in a factory setting where Lampwork beads are mass produced?
Mass produced Lampwork beads are often made with a less expensive glass andmight not beannealed so they may not be as durable as SRA made beads. Most of the time the SRA made Lampwork beads are more expensive than imported, factory mass produced Lampwork beads. There are several reasons for this but the most important is the unique, artistic quality of SRA made beads and also that most are made using the finest glass rods and canes on the market and they are properly kiln annealed. If you are looking for inexpensive beads you will be able to find a large assortment of mass produced Lampwork beads on okay. The SRA made Lampwork beads will usually be more expensive, and fine art glass Lampwork beads made by an SRA gemand top dollar as most collectors and jewelry designers look for these SRA made beads.
Since Lampwork beads are like little pieces of glass art, the beauty and aesthetic quality is subjective and in the eye of the beholder. If you want the finest quality Lampwork beads look for beads made by Self Representing Artists and the SRA abreviation.