•• l a m p w o r k g l a s s
Lampwork glass is made using a hot, localized heat source like a blow torch rather than a furnace to melt
the glass, and this process enables addition of fine detail to a glass bead. Beads are created by
heating glass rods in a flame and wrapping the soft, molten glass around a mandrel. Additional layers
and detail may be added. Glass beads are finished by annealing them; this means the glass is heated
and held above its stress-relief point to ensure it would not crack or shatter under different thermal
conditions.
The two most common types of glass for lampworking are "soft" soda-lime or lead glass and
"hard" borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass has a higher melting temperature
but it has more forgiving thermal properties (less expansion or contraction when heating
or cooling), making it an increasingly popular choice as more colors become available.