Arts-Crafts-Jewelry-Beads

Arts, Crafts, Jewelry, Beads, & Glass Bead Techniques

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Explore the world of arts, crafts, gems, jewelry, beads, art glass, handmade glass beads, and glass bead techniques. Find do-it-yourself resources for arts and crafts and jewelry making.

Fused art glass jewelry pendent

Glass Bead Techniques

Glass beads are used to adorn jewelry as well as utilitarian purposes like a drawer knob pull or as art glass. First, let's begin with blowing glass beads. The glass is softened by the process of heating and winding the glass around a metal rod called a mandrel. The glass bead technique of drawing the glass is accomplished by first heating the glass, blowing a large bubble, and applying decorations. Then, the glass is stretched with a tool to form a long tube that is cut up into smaller individual glass beads.

Light blue multi-color strand of bead

Pressing - Glass Bead Technique

Pressing is a technique accomplished by taking two hot, blobs of glass and pressing them together around a hole in a mold to form a glass bead. Pate de Verre or cold glass casting can be achieved by filling a small mold with broken glass frit, the center is then filled with materials and is fired in a kiln. Fused glass beads require heating up larger pieces of cold glass in a kiln to form a bead stock from which to derive and cut up individual glass beads. In glass casting molten glass is poured into a mold with a form holder. The glass clarity with this casting technique is higher than that of cold casting or Pate de Varre.