What is Lampwork? Why Swarovski crystals? What is .925 Sterling Silver? These are important questions. Knowing the answers will give you a deeper appreciation for what you have when you have purchased jewelry that contains any of these elements.
LAMPWORK: The craft of "lampworking" can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians and their use of the "core-forming" technique about 5000 years ago. Glass bead production had its inception about 3000 years ago, largely in Venice, Italy where glassmaking as an industry began. This trade remained highly guarded for many years in Italy. The teaching of glass making was limited to the family members only. Italy dominated this industry by the 15th century and today many lampwork artists use Murano and Effetre glass, from Italy, because of its superior quality.
Creating lampwork beads take skill, practice and an artistic eye. The process, simply put, involves heating rods of glass with a torch. When the glass is molten (hot) and about the consistency of honey the artist wraps it around a steel rod (mandrel) to form a bead. The mandrel when removed becomes the hole. Once the base bead is created other colors of glass can be added as embellishments. When the bead is complete it is vitally important that it is cooled in a controlled environment to eliminate stress points. Annealing is the term for this process and involves the use of a kiln and pyrometer. Quality lampwork beads are always kiln annealed to insure their durability and your enjoyment for years to come.
SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS: Are superior quality crystals, known for their brilliant, consistent color and uniform facets.
.925 STERLING SILVER: The term Sterling Silver emerged in England around the 13th century, and referred to the .925 grade of sterling. The grade .925 simply means the silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals. The other metal component is usually copper, for its strength. Fine silver or 99.9% silver is generally too soft for utilitarian purposes.
BALI SILVER: Bali is a small island, one of 17,000 that make up the Indonesian Archipelago. The history is rich in religious influence. This is particularly present in the art, where many early works were commissioned by priests and the ruling class. With the arrival of European artists at the beginning of the century a more individual style emerged. Today, Balinese artists from a variety of small villages, display their talent and style in the wonderful detail of their beads and components. Unless otherwise noted Bali silver is .925 Sterling.
