insect-inspired glass jewelry and beads

The term "lampworking" refers to the manipulation of glass in the flame from a torch. Before the advent of modern gas torches, lampworkers used oil lamps and air billows, hence the term "lamp." Lampworking dates back at least to the 5th century BC. The first lampworked objects were beads, evident in a rich archaeological history in Egypt, Syria, Japan, China, and later in Ancient Rome. Modern lampworking techniques (both artistic and scientific) largely stem from both German and Italian traditions. (Interestingly, glassworkers on the island of Murano were prohibited from traveling off the island out of a fear that they would “leak” the secrets of glassworking. Thankfully, these restrictions were lifted in the 1700s.)

The ease of American studio artists to work with glass in home studios is a fairly recent development. Books on technique, availability of materials, and organizations devoted to glasswork have all contributed to the rapidly increasing number of glass artists in the US. This trend is even more apparent in the beadmaking world, as more and more learn of the ease of setting up a beadmaking studio.

The type of lampworking that Margaret does is called "wound" glass, because her glass beads are made by winding glass rods heated in the flame around a stainless steel rod (mandrel). Mandrels are coated in a ceramic that prevents the glass from sticking to the mandrel, but allows the bead to be removed when cool. Once an adequate mass of glass is built on the mandrel, graphite, brass, and steel tools are used to shape the glass. Metal (silver, gold, copper, and palladium) in the form of foil, leaf, fume, or wire, colored glass stringer, frit (small glass chunks), powder and some minerals (moldavite, synthetic opal, cubic zirconia) can be added for decoration and texture.

All MZ Glass beads are annealed, which means that they have been slowly heated and cooled in a kiln so that any unwanted stresses that develop during creation are relieved. This helps to ensure that your MZ Glass treasures will last for generations to come.

Source: Dunham, B. 2002. Contemporary Lampworking: A Practical Guide to Shaping Glass in the Flame