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used
can be a good indicator of artisan beads - quality glass includes Italian art glass (moretti/effetre, Vetrofond), German (Lauscha), American (Bullseye or spectrum), NZ (gaffer) to name a few. Hard glass - Borocilicate - is also artisan glass!

* Tags / Labels

You may also see tags such as SRA - Self-Representing Artist, or Member of ISGB, or WC! or LE (member of glass online forums) - which adds to credibility of the seller, though lack of any title does not mean the artist is not representing themselves.

* * *

If in doubt about individual art versus mass produced, then question the seller carefully for precise answers as to where the beads are made and by whom, what glass was used, are they kiln annealed?

Please note: there are many imports now that look just like artisan lampwork beads. I get emails regularly from China offering to make beads I have designed. You will find a very few sellers listing beads as designed by them, failing to mention they did not make them! I have also seen Indian lampwork beads listed as kiln annealed, and they are not, unless the sellers have annealed them themselves.

It does take some knowledge of what is out there to recognize the imports, especially as some of the encased flowers now are just gorgeous... so look closely! It pays to check the seller out... there are very few shoddy ones, but they are there. Mass number of listings & CHEAP price is often a good indicator. I feel very sorry for the underpaid workers who produce these beads in unsafe conditions!
These mass produced beads are rarely cleaned, flaking white powder when strung which can be a hazard to breathe. Artisans take pride in cleaning their bead holes, sanding any edge that might be sharp and kiln annealing their beads.

Artisan lampwork beads can be incredibly beautiful and detailed - and last for generations as an art piece or in an heirloom piece of jewelry. I trust this guide has made your purchasing interest easier!

Learn more about this author, Donni Hakanson.
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