Frequently Asked Questions…

1. What is Flamework or Lampwork?

Flame/Lampworking involves the process of melting glass in a hot flame on a steel mandrel. The molten glass is wound around a mandrel until the desired size and style are achieved. A flame torch is used to melt the glass and is produced by Chemtane gas. Once a glass bead is formed and the artist is finished with the actual creation/design process there are several more steps involved before the bead is ready to be used in fine jewelry.

2. How do you manipulate the glass?

Glass can only be successfully manipulated when molten just right; too molten and it boils, burns, drools out of shape, or changes to a hideous color; not molten enough and surface embellishments don't stick or "striking" colors don't take on the hue they're supposed to. Maintaining a hot enough temperature is critical in preventing soda lime from cracking or exploding (called keeping the glass happy), yet the constant bathing in the flame that this requires serves to diminish sharp features. This is because glass is always trying to defy its handler by pulling itself back together into a ball.

3. Why so many steps?

People are always surprised by how many steps there are to making 1 tiny glass bead. It can sometimes take as long as 1-2 hours to make just 1 bead! It is especially true when you are putting in heavy design work or are using multiple colors & techniques. Each new color is a new rod you must melt down. There is no rest period when undertaking a labor-intensive piece. Once you bring it out of the flame, you better be sure you’re done because there is no going back. Beads kept out of the flame too long will crack and explode, deflating all the work and time you’ve devoted.

Once a bead is formed and the artist is finished with the actual design process there are several more steps involved. The bead is then placed in a kiln to start the annealing process. Annealing is the process of bringing down the temperature of the glass very slowly.  Annealing makes a glass bead very strong and durable. All glass beads offered for sale should be kiln annealed. All of my beads are kiln annealed. In general, when purchasing flamework/lampwork beads, this is a question you should be asking the artist.

4. Are you Glass Blower?

No, what I do is not glass blowing.  Although we’re in a similar industry, it’s a totally different art form. Glass blowers are artists manipulating glass on a much larger scale with large ovens to melt their glass. I manipulate glass with a flamed torch and on a much smaller scale. I make tiny glass beads that can only be sculpted using a torch.

I consider myself a Glass Artist or Flameworker. Although I am sometimes referred to as a jewelry designer or bead maker.  I make glass beads using a technique called “flameworking” or also called “lampworking.”

5. Why are your glass beads and jewelry pieces so expensive?

Go back and read 1-4. No seriously, my glass beads are miniature works of art…each finished jewelry piece consists of anywhere from 5-20 hours of flamework. It’s an original--you won’t find it anywhere else and it can’t be exactly duplicated.

Sincerely,

Dana Perea