Lampwork Bead Artist Qinyi Ma!

A: Thousands of years ago, artists in Italy used lamps to heat the glass to make beads.  "Lampwork" is a term used to describe the beads made by this process.  We now use a similar method but we use a torch instead of a lamp.  The flame from the torch can be over one thousand degrees.  You hold a steel stringer (which we call a mandrel) in your left hand and your right hand holds a glass rod, like holding a pencil.  You melt the glass rod tip over the flame and wind the molten glass on the mandrel.  You must keep rotating the mandrel.  The molten glass looks like honey and gravity makes it drop.  Rotating the mandrel will prevent the glass from dropping and finally turn it into a round bead.

The pictures show how to apply stringer on a base bead.  Normally, the glass rod is as thick as a pencil.  The stringer is pre-made by pulling the molten glass apart. 

Q: How long does a typical lentil style bead take to make

A: 10 minutes, not including clean up and annealing time.  We are very fast compared with other lampworkers!

Q: Do you make every bead yourself?

A: I used to do every single bead by myself.  After I started to do the bead shows, I realized that there was too much work for one person.  So I trained workers to help me make the beads.  Now I only focus on design.

Q: How many people help you?

A: Totally 10.  Some of them are part time.

Q: Where are they located?

A: San Jose, California

Q: Why did you become a lampwork artist?

A: I love lampwork beads and I love to create something special.  It's a lot of fun to discover new techniques and to create new designs.

Q: Where did you learn to be a lampworker?

A: In my apartment in San Jose, California!  I pulled out the cutting board and clasped the torch to it.  At the very beginning, when I started it, the heated glass rods would easily pop out.  Those scary hot glass tips left some burn marks on the floor.  I'm lucky that I didn't burn down the apartment!

Q: Where do you get your ideas?

A: At the very beginning, I learned the techniques from books and videos, following their instructions.  Then I got ideas from gem stones, handbags, clothing, fabric, fashion, etc.  It's about everything I see.  One of my customers painted her nails turquoise and added gold leaf - I used the idea in my beads!

Q: How many different designs do you have in production at any one time?

A: I normally have a work plan.  Each worker works on a certain design.  We do one design at a time, which is more efficient.  Normally, we have 150+ designs we need to work on each month!

Q: What are your best selling colors? 

A: Pink, neutral colors, green, blue.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to talk about?

A: The glass I use is Moretti, which is the same glass as Venetian beads.  Some of the special colors come from Germany.  I like high quality products; I want to share the same value with my customers.  I hope they enjoy the detail of the designs too.

 

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