Bead Terminology - Ever
wondered what it's all about?
I use
Italian Effetre (Moretti) glass & the beads are made on 3/32”
mandrels
(The very thin steel rod
which you wind the hot glass onto to make the beads).
Each
piece is slowly annealed in a digitally controlled kiln over several
hours to remove stresses and help prevent cracking.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
What is Lampwork ?
Hand making
glass beads is called lampworking because hundreds of years ago,
artisans heated glass using oil lamps - some bead makers in India
still use kerosene today. I use a propane/oxygen torch to melt the
imported glass rods to over 580°C, then I wind the molten glass onto
a "mandrel", which is a stainless steel rod. Using gravity, a
variety of tools, and coloured glass, I form the shape and design
... and create small treasures, just for you...
What is Dichroic
Glass ?
Dichroic Glass is a multi layer coating placed on glass by using a
highly technical vacuum deposition process. Quartz Crystal and Metal
Oxides are vaporized onto the surface of the glass in the form of a
crystal structure. Originally created for the Aerospace industry,
The main characteristic of Dichroic Glass is that it has a
transmitted colour and a completely different reflective colour.
Furthermore, these two colours shift depending on angle of view.
With the play of light, together with its vibrant colour, Dichroic
Glass is a prime tool used to add interest to any piece of work or
project. With over 45 Colours of Dichroic Coatings available,
artists have unlimited freedom of expression.
