Round lampwork beads are handcrafted beads and popular components of various jewelry pieces. You will find these used in beaded bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry, and are usually sold over the internet. They are also sold in many local stores, where the artisans bring their creations for sale. The quality of lampwork gems is dependent upon the expertise of its maker. You can choose to buy a beaded jewelry in any style that appeals to you. Just do not forget that style is not the only consideration when buying handcrafted jewelry.

Before you can buy a lampwork gems, you must have a first hand information on how these gems are made. To begin the handcrafting, gem makers melt the tips of glass rods through the use of a torch. As the rod melts, fluid glass is winded around a narrow rod made of stainless steel, called the mandrel. Upon removing the bead, the space occupied by the mandrel becomes the hole in the bead - this is the hole used in stringing the beads into jewelry.

From the flame, the glass gem should be allowed to cool slowly at a right temperature because otherwise, cracks will develop on the round lampwork beads and this will pose a problem for the buyers. The process of cooling the bead slowly to prevent brittleness is called annealing.

When you are in the market for lampwork gems, check for bubbles found inside them. Some makers use air bubbles on beads as design elements. You decide if you want these bubbles present on your beads, because these can turn on into cracks later. Also make sure that the hole of the gems is free of jagged edges - eventually, they can cut through beading wire. To be on the safe side, you should check the overall appearance of the gems. See if the shapes are all pleasing. There can be some variations because they are handcrafted, but they should look attractive and their sides fit against the sides of other ornaments used.

Bead release is a thick coating placed by the lampwork makers on the mandrel to remove the beads easily. Bead release prevents sticking of gems to the mandrel. If you are buying a completed piece of round lampwork jewelry, take a look at the holes. All signs of the bead release should have been removed by the craftsman who made it. If you see it is still there, then it is an indication of lack of care. It will also make you wonder if there are other careful steps that were not taken.

To be sure that you are buying good quality lampwork beads, make a preview online. In large stores like eBay, they have listings of stones in all different styles. You can also check the ratings given to each lampwork artist by buyers. You will learn whether these buyers were happy or not with their purchases. Bead makers have their own style of beads. Some of them make their beads into jewelry and others just make them to sell to other jewelry makers.

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