The technique and technology of making hand-crafted glass beads is considered as one of the oldest creative pastimes of humans.  Egyptian faience beads are glass-like beads which come from a sort of clay bead which has a self-forming vitreous coating.  They are maybe the earliest beads found from the ancient Egyptians.  In some cultures, glass objects were reserved for royalty and owning a glass object was closely associated with owning other luxurious objects. 

What are glass beads?  Glass beads are beads made of glass.  They are often called lamp work beads.  This kind of bead can be poured into moulds, cut and polished as fake gemstones, and can be stretched and pulled into any shape you wish.  These beads can be easy or decorative depending on the artist’s preference.  Different kinds of glass and colors are used and played with to create the desired look.  Before you begin to make your own beads and finish up with a bowl full of different sorts of beads all mixed up, take some time to find out How to Organize Your Beading Stuffs. 

The very first thing to do before using the torch and other dangerous tools for glass bead making is learn some Safety Tips in Jewelry Making.  These tools can be extremely deadly not only to you, but to others around you.  When making glass beads, you have to melt a narrow rod of glass employing a torch.  The molten glass is wound around a mandrel which is a thin length of chrome steel.  The space where the mandrel is placed becomes the hole of the bead.  Holding and turning the mandrel in different positions allows gravity to help form the bead.  There are specific tools needed for pushing and pulling glass beads to form different types of shapes. 

Working with a lamp to create glass beads isn’t particularly easy, but patience and practice will help on the way.  You’ve got to remember that you are working with glass and a torch ; you will have to learn the different levels of heat that are necessary for the glass to flow. 

The beads are pulled out from the flame to cool down ; they’re left out in the open air which means that while the outside of the bead is quickly cooling, it’s still really hot inside.  The uneven temperature resulting from this method will most likely cause a bead to break as the beads sometimes cool too quickly.  

Kiln hardening is a method by which both the outside and inside temperature can be closely controlled.  The bead is placed in a high temperature kiln to be sure that all the glass is evenly heated.  After a few hours, the beads can now be put out at room temperature for cooling.  But it is important to be sure that the glass beads you buy are all kiln annealed.  For tiny glass beads, you may try cooling them within layers of insulation.  This strategy is different from the annealing process but it has proved to be effective for small quantities of glass.  Most products and tools come with a set, so always follow the Beading Instructions an Important Tool for Beading if you want to learn and get it right.