Tsunami Beads & Glasswork

"Lampworking” is a glass forming technique that uses the process of sculpting colored glass onto thin rods (mandrel) over an open flame, also known as "flameworking".  Once the molten glass is on the mandrel, the artist will use various tools and techniques to further shape and design the glass; often adding other colors of glass to the original bead to create elaborate surface decorations.

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Lampworking skills came to us from a long history starting with the Syrians around 1700 BC, the Egyptians around 1450 BC, the Chinese around 550 BC, and the Romans at the turn of the first millennium. During Roman times, the lampwork artisans perfected the process to such a point that intricate portraits and mosaics were made into tiny  beads.  Additionally by the fifteenth century, the Italian glass artisans further refined those earlier techniques and secretly passed them from father to son.  The secrets of glass making are still jealously guarded in Italy, which had become the glass and beadmaking center of the world during the Renaissance period. 

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Today, glass artisans use equipment adapted from welding industry- using torches run by oxygen and propane gases to melt the glass.  Artist creating lampworked beads are considered one-of-a-kind items and should be considered wearable artwork- no two beads are truly identical!   So, please keep in mind that each bead is handmade and the beads pictured are a representation of the beads you will receive.  Additionally, the nature of flameworking dictates that in some cases that minor variations in size, shape or color are to be expected.  This is especially true of "organic" styles, beads that utilizes metals or frits to create a mottled appearance.