How to Create Glass Jewelry
Popular methods of making glass jewelry include lamp work and fused glass. Lamp work, usually used to make beads, involves melting and shaping glass with a torch. The fused glass method involves firing a piece of glass at three different ranges of temperature to create relief, depth and shape.
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Instructions
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Create Lamp Work Jewelry
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Select the right glass for your work. Soda lime glass and borosilicate glass are more often used in lamp work.
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Choose glass pieces that are compatible. Different types of glass have different properties, including the amount of time and degree of temperature it takes to melt. Incompatible glass will create problems in the finished glasswork.
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3
Prepare your tools. Have a marver made of graphite or steel, and molds of wood, brass or graphite to shape your jewelry piece. You will also need tungsten picks to make holes or designs, jacks to cut the glass, a steel mandrel and a torch.
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Design your glass piece before you start and plan your steps carefully.
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Begin by heating the glass rods slowly and carefully to prevent them from shattering from sudden heat.
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Wrap the molten glass around the coated head of the mandrel as you heat the glass rod.
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Decorate the piece using the technique of your choice. Be sure to bring all glass parts you are working with to equal temperature to prevent breakage.
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Anneal the finished product in a kiln. Annealing heats the glass piece to a point where all parts of the glass are soft enough to blend better but not melt.
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Cool the glass piece slowly at predetermined temperatures depending on the size. Annealing and cooling make the jewelry piece strong and less likely to break.
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Read a short tutorial on "How to Make Glass Beads".
Create Fused Glass Jewelry
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Design your glasswork. Decide on the colors you want for your glasswork and any embellishments you would like to add to enhance the design, for instance, foil. Think about the order in which you will place these items to create the effect you want.
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Select the sheets of colored glass for your design as well as any embellishments. Cut the glass to the size you want using a glasscutter and breaker.
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Stack the sheets of colored glass in the order you prefer.
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Place the stack in the kiln and heat. You will need to heat the stack in a pattern that involves rapidly heating then holding the oven at a specific temperature. Repeat this pattern until the pieces bond together.
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Cool your glass piece slowly in the kiln to avoid breakage. This will be in three stages with the temperature of the kiln starting at 516 ºC before finally ending at room temperature. This will take 10 to 12 hours.
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Consider membership with "The Glass Art Society", a nonprofit organization that supports glass artists.
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Tips & Warnings
Be careful and wear protective gear when handling glass in order to avoid cutting yourself.
