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Artist-made Lampwork:

Lampwork is an ancient technique of using a flame to melt glass. It involves the process of melting glass in a hot flame on a steel mandrel. The molten glass is wound around the mandrel until the desired size and style are achieved. The flame used to melt the glass is produced by mixing gas, either natural or propane, and oxygen. Thus, the flame produced is hot enough to melt glass. A torch is the primary tool for the flame.

Once a bead is formed and the artist is finished with the actual creation process, the bead is placed in a kiln to start the annealing process. Annealing is the process of bringing down the temperature of the glass very slowly. Annealing makes a glass bead very strong and durable.

Kiln annealing is more than just slow cooling; every kind of glass has a fairly specific annealing point at which it is neither too solid nor too liquid, where  the molecules are "relaxed" enough for stress to be alleviated, but not fluid enough to move into new stress-causing positions. The piece of glass must be held at its annealing temperature long enough for the temperature to equalize throughout the piece. If it is ramped down through the annealing temperature rather than held there, the core will remain warmer than the outside and full annealing will not take place. A piece that is slow-cooled in a kiln will be more stable than a piece that was not, but it is NOT fully annealed! Glass that has an annealing point of 970 will not anneal at 1000, and it will not anneal at 940.  Larger pieces take longer to anneal, and to safely cool, because it takes longer for the core and the surface temperatures to equalize. However, more is not better; there is no benefit to holding it at the annealing temp longer than the minimum it takes to anneal. It usually won't hurt it, either, but it's not really a good selling point; the soak time for beads is only around ten minutes. Holding glass at its annealing point for an extended period can cause it to slump or stick eventually; at an annealing temperature, the molecules *are* moving... just slowly.

Last but not least, glass also has a strain temperature a few hundred degrees below annealing temp, at which it is most likely to crack during cooling. Soaking it at the strain temp can help reduce loss of even properly annealed pieces during the cooling cycle. -- Kalera Stratton in RCB

When a bead is taken out of the kiln, it is still on the steel mandrel. The cooled bead is soaked in water to soften the bead release agent. Once the bead is removed, the holes are cleaned and filed.

An artist-made lampworked glass bead is one of a kind, and should be considered artwork that is wearable. No two beads are identical. If you own lampworked beads in jewelry you can be sure that you own a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry - an heirloom for your family.

What you are NOT getting are the mass-produced lampwork beads that are imported, unless specified as Czech. [see Czech lampwork] I go out of my way to avoid glass from India, Turkey, and China. My experience with those beads are that they tend to be weak and prone to cracking and breakage.

Lampworked glass beads are not "blown glass", this is a different technique entirely. -- Sherry Wilkins

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Most of the lampworked beads I use are handcrafted in the United States, Canada, or Australia by glass artists, who utilize a high level of safety in their lampwork process. When you purchase jewelry from me, the artist will be specified.

Artisan-made Lampwork

The glass bead industry in the Czech Republic is well established and has been there for over 100 years (if not longer). While the fire-polished and pressed glass is made in factories, there are many factories and none of them would be considered huge by American standards. The lampwork beads are a different story. Lampworking is a cottage industry in the Czech Republic utilizing many individual families making beads at home. The techniques are passed from generation to generation starting at a very young age. These people are VERY skilled artisans and by their own country's standards, very well paid. They make beads only in the styles that have been mainstays of the industry for decades, so they may look 'mass-produced.' For them, the beads are a product to make well but they are NOT necessarily an expression of an artist's sensibility.

The beads are contracted for through either the factory owners or other middlemen - the families rarely, if ever, produce beads for direct marketing. As for quality, I can only assume that their glass industry knows how to make beads that last considering how long it's existed in that area. If they didn't make a quality product, it wouldn't have flourished as it has.-- Mj in RCB

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There is a dynamic difference between the way European glass beadmakers and the new generation of US beadmakers view 'production work' vs 'art beads'

European glass workers (they seldom refer to themselves as artists) HIGHLY value skill, precision, expertise, experience, & the level of experience/mastery of who they studied with. The common (uncommon in the states) is generational passing of knowledge and the demanding perfection that accompanies it. Form and function are of UTMOST concern - technique is stressed over 'interpretation' or art. In fact at some points, those in apprenticeship are not not considered prepared to venture outside the level of skill they are currently mastering. Pride and purpose for many European glassworkers/beadmakers is to create a technically perfect bead or item upon demand, over and over, flawlessly. It's a different sort of 'bar' than we think of here in the US where art glass, especially bead-making, has been born in the warmer glow of expression, personal statement and variation. -- Faith in RCB

Polymer Clay:

A host of information can be found HERE.

When properly cured, polymer clay is a durable acrylic product. (especially Fimo and Premo) Don't run it over with a car, etc....but its pretty strong. I have washed many pieces accidentally on clothing, its fine. Buttons wash  fine too. Don't dry-clean, though. Its care is not a problem with wearables -- but it is not hard enough to stand up to  use as a floor tile, or on counters, nor should it be burned or heated over 300 degrees -- no pipes, no cooking/serving plates, etc. - Sarajane

Precious Metal Clay:

Not something I have purchased yet for my jewelry - there is more information HERE.

Bali Sterling Silver: 

True Bali silver beads are made on the island of Bali in Indonesia by craftsman using very old silver working techniques. They tend to use lots of granulation and wire on their beads in rather distinctive designs. It's all made from sterling silver (.925 pure silver) or vermeil (22kt gold over sterling)  -- Marjean Cline of Halsey Trading

The best explanation of Bali Sterling Silver is found HERE.  It is much too long to reprint here.

All parts in my jewelry marked as "Bali Sterling Silver" are actually imported FROM BALI. They are NOT "Bali-style" made in India, Turkey, China, or any other location.

To see why I prefer genuine Bali Silver, click here.

Hill Tribe Silver:

True Thai silver, on the other hand, is made by artisans of the Hill tribes of Thailand, up in the Golden Triangle area of Southeast Asia. They also use centuries old silver working techniques, but their work is entirely different in style from the Bali, tending to larger, stylized forms of flowers and leaves rather than ornate beads. Thai silver is 96-98% pure. -- Marjean Cline of Halsey Trading

Preciosa Crystal

They are faceted like Swarovski crystal and are very, very nice. It is a specific  line of Czech beads and is actually the name of the company.

There's even a story behind these. In everything but the name, Preciosa Crystals is older that Swarovski Crystals. Then, like now, Preciosa Crystals was located in Jablonek, Czechoslovakia. Daniel Swarovski worked for Preciosa (under its previous name) in the mid-1800's. He learned all there was to learn about making crystals, and had a nice little career for himself.

Then, as in many times and places throughout history, things got ugly for Jews. Mr. Swarovski packed up his family and left Jablonek for Austria, and set up shop. Why on Earth he picked Austria is a mystery to me.

Anyway, The Swarovskis ran their crystal business, generation after generation, doing moderately well until WWII. (I could find no information on how they weathered WWII when almost all the other Austrian Jews were handed over. It's most likely because optical lenses were important for the war effort, and Swarovski made the best.)

After WWII, however, Swarovski did incredibly well. Preciosa in Jablonek still made beads and crystals, but weren't able to put a lot of resources into research and development. The Soviet Union saw no compelling reason for investing in bead-making companies, though the optic portion of the company did well. Their beady customers were mostly inside the Iron Curtain, and they were largely forgotten in the West. Swarovski put a ton of money into R&D, expanded their product line (with those little figurines and such), and became THE company to beat for lead crystal.

In 1989, the Soviet Union began to crumble, and by 1990, the Czech Republic was looking at itself to see which industries would be salable in the West, and provide hard currency. (Back in 1991, visited the Czech Republic, and exchanged a US $20 bill. I got piles and piles of Czech currency, which my brother immediately christened "Czech Charmins: because they were worth about the same amount)

Preciosa is one of the newly privatized companies that is becoming well known in the West. The quality in 1991 (where I first saw Czech crystal) was amazing, and I predicted that Swarovski had best watch out for the first real competition they've had in more than fifty years.

I'm dying to see what happens in the next five years, as Preciosa has the quality of Swarovski at a fraction of the price. I predict that both will start innovating like crazy, to succeed against the other.  Happily, we bead buyer are going to like the fallout of this little corporate war: innovation in bead colors, coatings and shapes, and  drop in prices can only benefit us.

Kathy N-V

vj note: Due to research by Kathy N-V and the results of our first order of Preciosa crystal, we are phasing out our purchases of Swarovski crystal and replacing it with Preciosa.  My own issues with Swarovski not withstanding, the Preciosa crystals I have on my desk are brilliant, sparkling, and as beautiful as Swarovski.

Swarovski Crystal:

NOTE FROM vj:
There is this, from Swarovski:

It seems that any wholesaler/reseller who may have purchased from Swarovski is only allowed, by Swarovski's copyright, to label it for resale as "Austrian crystal".

Swarovski Crystal has been called the most beautiful leaded crystal available, and comprises over 70% of the crystal worldwide. Attempts to duplicate it have failed due to the inability to produce accurately sized precision, faceted stones such as Swarovski's. Competitors' products are considered inferior to those who understand the value and beauty of Swarovski.

1. Does it weigh in your hand like Swarovski? Swarovski's clarity and precision is directly related to the amount of lead they sink into their glass. More lead means more weight per given piece.

2. Does it LOOK as clear as Swarovski? There is just something pristine clear about Swarovski that your piece may or may not hold its candle to.

3. Finally, and this is less reliable as an indicator unless you know the history of your piece. But Swarovski, over time, simply wears and tears better. Less scratching, less nicking than its competitor because it is a harder, heavier "glass".

to see the difference in crystals and firepolished beads, click here.

Seed Beads:

K. Nicklas-Varraso, 2003 - RCB

click on the image for a full-sized version

click on the image for a full-sized version

Other Miyuki products are not as consistent as Delicas. (And Delicas tend to be less consistent than Toho Treasures, but Toho Treasures have a far smaller color selection) They are worlds more consistent than Czech, Indian or Taiwanese seed beads, but they still do need some culling. I've found that the cube beads from Miyuki have the roughest edges and need the most attention, with solid colors requiring more culling than the color lined, for some reason. The Miyuki triangle beads are the smoothest (almost a "round" triangle, if you know what I mean), and I rarely throw one away.

If you want incredible consistency, take a look at Toho Aiko beads. They're even smaller than Delicas, and are astonishingly consistent. I was sent a small sample, and worked it up to see how the finished product looked. A tiny sample of Aiko beads looks a lot like micro-mosaics. Very, very pretty, but rather tough on the eyes of the beadworker. If you like working with 15/0 beads, you'll love these.

The three well known Japanese beadmakers have seed bead products that are very consistent compared to beads from other countries, and I'm sure that long time bead artists would think we're spoiled compared to the (pardon me) junk that was the norm even a decade ago. But seed beads still require some culling - how much really depends on the stitch you're using. A forgiving stitch (like Ndebele) or bead embroidery can use beads that would look horrid in loomwork or charted peyote stitch.

Personally, I find that Toho beads are my favorite, but Miyukis are easier to find. If I'm not mistaken, Matsuno beads are the ones that FMG sells as Dyna-mites. All three are subtly different from each another, although they can usually be used together in the same project - unlike mixing say Czech and Japanese beads in a loomwork project. (eww) Czech seed beads require more culling than Japanese ones, but they have their own really nice qualities as well. The shape is completely different (think donut compared to pipe), and the color selection is a lot nicer (especially in the pinks and purples, which the Japanese have never really gotten down perfectly, IMNSHO)

I even have a place (a very small and limited place) for cheap seed beads from Taiwan or India. If I can find a truly unusual color and enough to do an entire project (color matching over time is something that hasn't happened there yet), I'll buy the beads. They make a very "organic," somewhat roughly finished final product. I've yet to find find a bead that simulates the texture of tree bark than a Taiwanese seed, and I love them for the cores of certain types of spirals.

If a specific batch of beads I buy has an unusual amount of culls (say anything over ~5% for Japanese seed beads, or ~10% for cubes), I mention it to the person who sold them to me. They've always come through and given me some replacements, and I assume that they've complained further up the food chain to their supplier. Since I buy my beads by the half kilo or more, and usually a bunch of colors at a time, I assume that the vendor I used got a bad batch from the manufacturer. A given 5 gram tube of beads could be a bad roll of the beady dice, but a whole kilo? No way.

BTW, if you like seed beading, I highly recommend buying a few colors in the large half-kilo or quarter-kilo packages (100g for cylinder beads). I go through black and white like crazy, and always buy large packages of those, in many different sizes and finishes. When you consider the cost between a tube and a bulk package, you'll be shocked at how much less your cost per gram will be by just buying those colors in bulk.

The finish treatment effects the consistency of the beads as well. I seldom use galvanized beads, but when I do, I've noticed that they often have beads sticking together - I assume it's from the way that the paint dries on the beads. Matte beads tend to be smaller than shiny beads of the same type, because the etching process removes some glass. With coated beads, it's the opposite effect. But these are subtle, fussy inconsistencies - nothing that a non-beader would ever notice.

So the answer to your question is that Miyuki and other Japanese beads are the most consistent seed beads you will find in today's marketplace. However, we still have not reached the stage where culling is unnecessary. I am okay with this, because the labor required for such a process would make the cost of the beads prohibitively high, and because there are times where a slight range of sizes adds interest to my work.

Kathy N-V

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By far, the best quality seed beads are made by the Japanese company Miyuki (the same company that makes Delicas). They are extremely uniform and require next to no culling. They cost more, and are definitely worth it. When I want to use seed beads with a bit more "character," I switch to Czech seed beads. -- Carol in SLC

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Hoo boy, I'd wrestle you to the ground over that one... I really prefer Toho beads. Equal in quality, but a very slightly different shape than Miyuki seed beads. Don't know too much about Matsuno, but I'd bet that they're on par with the other two. Japanese manufacturing is amazingly exact. -- Kathy N-V

Also:

Japanese beads are of wonderful quality. The others [Indian, Chinese and Taiwanese] are not regular in shape, size, color, and are a nightmare to work with. You end up throwing out so many defective beads that it would be less expensive to use Japanese or Czech beads in the first place.

If I want a rustic, less uniform look, I use Czech seed beads. The small differences in them make an item look charming, not messy. For most pieces, I use Toho seed beads - they are uniform for the most part, and the curve of the bead is very attractive. For items that need to be very regular, with almost a tiled look, I use Delicas (or Toho Treasures, which are much cheaper).

[Regarding stringing]  I think that the same problems exist with Indian, Chinese, Taiwanese and whatever other countries are making lesser quality seed beads. You end up throwing away so many beads that are broken, have no hole, have a hole that's too small to use, or are misshapen that you may as well have bought the good stuff in the first place.  --  K. Nicklas-Varraso, 2004 - RCB

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Yes, Toho tries to mimic Miyuki Delicas - I don't really count them for seed beads since they are more a cylinder bead than a seed bead. And Matsuno are definitely inferior to Miyuki when it comes to seed bead quality. -- Carol in SLC / RCB

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There is so much information to learn just on seedbeads alone.

There are 3 major factories in Japan that produce seedbeads. Miyuki, Toho and Matsuno.

Both Miyuki & Toho beads are a bit more rounded, with large holes. Matsuno beads tend to be taller (hole to hole) than they are around, making them look a bit cylindrical.

Miyuki also makes a Delica bead. It has a very thin wall with a large hole and is cylindrical in shape. When woven they fit together like little tiles.

The next most popular seed bead is from the Czech Republic. The beads are much more donut shaped than the Japanese variety. They also tend to have smaller holes. On average they are not as uniform as the Japanese seed beads, but this just adds to their character and charm. They are perfect for appliqué work because you can pick and choose fatter or thinner beads to fit where needed.

There are also seed beads from France. Not very uniform at all, but there are certain colors that only the French make. True pinks that do not fade.

Seed beads are also made in many other countries, Italy, Taiwan, India...but I do not recommend them for beadwork. They would work in a craft project with some glue, tho. =o)

Here is a close-up scan of some of the above mentioned beads:
http://www.whimbeads.com/seedbeads/seed-compare.html
I am also working on stitching up various shapes and sizes of beads in the more
popular stitches as a comparison.

As for 2-cut beads, the cut refers to how many times the bead has passed through to be cut. 2-cut is twice. The bead is almost like a small bugle, with 6 sides. The holes can be rough on the inside because of the process used to make the bead. It is not tumbled like a seed bead to smooth the edges.

A 3-cut bead has numerous facets surrounding the bead with no pattern to them. It makes the bead shimmer and sparkle. Again, the holes can be a little rough, but not as bad as a 2-cut. 3-cuts come in 9º and 12º.

A Charlotte cut is a Czech size 13º with single facets, 1 or 2 generally on the bead. It has a subtle sparkle. Very pretty.

And now within the past several years the Czechs also make what are called True Cuts. Sizes 15º, 11º and 8º similar to a Charlotte. Charlotte, however, is reserved for the original size 13º cut only.

Here is a link to a page with information about the various finishes on seed beads:  http://www.whimbeads.com/seedbeads/finish-info.html

Beki - of Whimbeads

Miyuki

Kathy N-V

Delica

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