Lampwork beads at Alaska Handmade Jewelry are individually made by hand. Each bead is crafted using a lampwork torch heating the glass in excess of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. All lampwork is made using colored boro (borosilicate) glass from Northstar Glassworks and clear boro from Simax.

Borosilicate (boro) glass is best known for its very low coefficients of thermal expansion. i.e. Pyrex cooking ware. Boro is also known as hard glass which has a coefficient of expansion (COE) of 33. Soft glass is also used for making beads and has a COE of 104 to 90 depending on manufacture. Glass objects made with different glass COE’s will result in a product that is subject to cracking due to uneven thermal expansion even after annealing.

Boro beads at Alaska Handmade Jewelry are annealed at 1050 degrees with the bead release being removed manually from the bead hole. Each bead hole is made either on a 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) or 3/32 inch (2.4 mm) mandrel coated with bead release. Thus the overall hole size will be somewhat larger.

Colors of beads will be dependent on viewing conditions and monitor settings. Beads will look livelier outside and somewhat muted inside. Images are as true to life in color as possible. The size of a bead image can not be used to determine actual size. Please use the size data as stated in the product description to determine actual bead size.

All handmade lampwork beads may be exchanged for a different bead, a refund or funds kept on account if the bead does not meet expectations. See policy for product return guidelines.

To view our handmade lampwork boro glass creations, please follow this link.