What is Lampworking?

Lampworking is the art of melting down glass with a torch to form beads on a mandrel. A mandrel is a metal rod that the molten glass is wound onto. The beads are formed and decorated using various techniques. When the beads are being made they become extremely hot. Therefore, once a bead has been formed and decorated, it goes into a kiln to cool down very slowly over time. This process prevents the bead from cracking and strengthens the bead's structure. This is called annealing. After the beads have cooled, they are taken off the mandrel and the bead holes are cleaned with a bead reamer. Because of the difficulty in making lampwork beads, and the time involved, the beads are much more expensive than "mass produced" beads. Beads that are mass produced tend to be inferior in quality, and are often not annealed and therefore break easily. The more durable nature and the beauty of handmade lampwork is worth the cost.
All of my beads are annealed in a digitally controlled kiln.