Lampwork glass bead jewelry paired with silver, steel and leather

Angela was first introduced to lampwork glass bead making more than 16 years ago. Within months of taking a glass class, she invested in the necessary equipment, including a propane fueled torch, a glass kiln, and many steel and glass rods. For two years beads were made with no outlet for their use. After filling a quart sized jar, she committed to dispersing her original glass beads in her jewelry designs.  

Currently, her jewelry designs include intricate wire work, hammered metals, as well as her intricately layered glass beads. Angela’s newest collection uses silvered glass which creates organic color changes when melted, cooled and melted again in propane and oxygen gases.

A bit of history - lampwork glass bead production began in Italy on the island of Murano. This glass work process remained a secret for many years until trade carried the beautiful delicate glasswork to the world. Italian glass can now be purchased in pencil thin rods in a myriad of colors. Lampwork artists melt the glass rods in a hot torch flame and paint the melted colored glass onto a base bead. The layering of glass colors creates the bead design with either flat or raised dot surfaces. The beads are then annealed in a 960 degree kiln for several hours to harden the glass molecules and form a super strong bead. Voila! A beautiful bead is made!