Handcrafted lampwork beads are a popular jewelry component. You'll find lampwork beads in beaded necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry. The jewelry is sold on the Internet and in local stores where jewelry artisans sell their creations. The quality of any handcrafted item is equal to the expertise of its maker and lampwork beads are no exception to that rule. Choose beaded jewelry in a style you like, but remember that style isn't the only thing you must consider when you buy handcrafted lampwork beads. Lampwork beads must be cooled in a specific way I don't understand all the physical and chemical reasons why molten glass behaves as it does, but I understand the concept enough to explain the basics of lampwork beadmaking. Lampworkers use a torch to melt the tips of colorful glass rods. As it melts, they wind the fluid glass around a mandrel, a narrow stainless steel rod. Later, when the bead is removed, the space occupied by the mandrel becomes a hole in the center of the bead--the hole used to string it onto jewelry. Glass cools from the outside in and the outer layers shrink as cooling takes place. Bringing a bead out of the flame and leaving it in the open air allows the outside of the bead to cool rapidly around its molten interior. A stress point develops between the cool, shrinking glass and the hot center. The stress can cause a bead to crack, either immediately or at a later time. Cooling beads slowly is a must To prevent cracks, beads are cooled in a kiln, where temperatures can be closely regulated. The beadmaker anneals the bead as soon as it comes out of the flame. That means the bead is left to soak up heat in the kiln so that all glass within it is the same temperature. The soaking temperature is high enough for glass to flow on some molecular level, but not so high that the bead ends up in a puddle on the kiln floor. After annealing, the artist begins to reduce the heat in the kiln, taking several hours to bring the beads to room temperature. The slow reduction in temperature produces glass beads with fewer stress points, so they're less likely to crack. Very small glass beads are sometimes slowly cooled between layers of insulation. It's not the same as annealing, but the process is usually successful because the small amount of glass in tiny beads cools at a more even rate. Questions to ask the beadmaker Were the beads kiln annealed? How long has the artisan been making beads? (The answer may be helpful, but remember that some people learn quickly while others never do.) Has the beadmaker sold beads on ebay or another online auction where you can check buyer feedback? Does the seller guarantee the beads? Cracked beads and other problems The photo above right is one of the first beads my mom made during a beginning bead workshop. It contains a lot of glass and I'm sure the outer layers cooled too much before it was placed in the kiln’and the kiln wasn't quite hot enough to begin with. It's not very round and has several cracks. The bead won't ever be used in jewelry, but she keeps it around as an example of things that can go wrong. Some beadmakers use air bubbles as design elements, but they are normally round or positioned in specific areas. If you're not sure about visible bubbles, ask about them, because bubbles can lead to cracks later on. Make sure the bead hole is free of nicks and burrs. Jagged edges around the bead hole can eventually cut through beading wire. Check all beads' overall appearance Are the shapes of beads pleasing? They're handcrafted, so expect some variations’that's part of their charm, but they should be attractive and the sides should fit nicely against all other beads used with them. Bead Release Should Be Removed Lampworkers use a thick coating of bead release on the mandrel before they build the bead. The release keeps the bead from sticking to the mandrel so that it can be removed easily later. If you're buying a finished piece of jewelry, you might not be able to examine the bead holes, but try to take a look. The artisan should have removed every trace of the gritty bead release. If it's still there it indicates a lack of care and makes us wonder what other steps weren't taken. Finding lampwork beads A good way to preview the work of lampwork bead artists is to view ebay listings. You'll see many styles at once and you can check the feedback ratings for each artist to find out if buyers have been happy with their purchases. Most beadmakers develop their own style of beads. Some make jewelry and others would rather make the beads and sell them to jewelry makers for use in their projects. Explore some of the links on this page to see the different ways that glass beads can be incorporated into jewelry.