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Bead-making: an ancient art Throughout the world, the making of beads has been a highly-valued skill since ancient times. Techniques invented by the Egyptians and Romans are still in use today and, for centuries, many have remained closely-guarded secrets.
Hand-crafted Venetian glass beads Beads are hand-crafted from many materials but my own preference is to work with glass beads of various types - especially lampworked beads from Venice. These are individually hand-made using a small furnace or burner (the "lamp"). The beads are formed around a copper wire, by building up layers of molten glass (in characteristically bold colours) together with gold or silver leaf. Depending on the final shape, the beads are finished either by hand or in a mould, then cooled slowly for 24 hours. To free the wire, the bead must be immersed in an acid bath - eroding the copper and leaving behind the hole ready for threading.
Unique beads, personalised jewellery As can be imagined, such beads are not produced in large numbers, particularly as each small manufacturer typically has access to only a few workers skilled enough to make such fine beads. Being hand-made, no two Venetian glass beads are identical - colour and size vary between the batches of beads produced by different lampworkers. Such variation is part of the charm of using these materials and it ensures that each piece of jewellery that I produce is truly unique. Some of my most beautiful beads are in such short supply that I am only able to acquire them in very small numbers with no possibility of a repeat purchase. Whilst unable to incorporate them into an ongoing range of products, they form the centrepiece of my "Something Different" collection and are unarguably totally "one-off" and unique.
Jewellery of quality Such classic beads deserve only the best. When incorporating them into items of jewellery, I always use the best quality materials obtainable. To complement the Venetian glass beads, I will frequently use top quality Swarovski glass crystals from Austria. Findings (clasps etc.) are all hypo-allergenic (even the crimp beads) and are either gold-filled (9 or 14 carat gold permanently bonded onto silver) or sterling silver.
Jewellery to be cared for If treated with care, your jewellery should provide many years of pleasure. In particular, I recommend the following:
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© Trish Thomas 2007. All rights reserved. All Trish Thomas jewellery designs are copyright protected.
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