"Handmade, US Lampwork"????

The approach I'm taking is to only buy beads from beadmakers who I know at
least by reputation. Sometimes I've asked a list beader about a beader I've
not heard of, and so far, haven't been burned!

The Blessed Fiddy, Patroness Saint of the Disorganized
LC in Sunny So Cal
Personality Development Specialist (Full-Time Mom!)

Peggy,

In addition to Fiddy's tip about artists with great reputations here, one
thing to look for is for the seller not only to say "handmade" - as those
imports are often handmade, just not well - is for them to say "handmade by
me" or "handmade by artist's name here". Most of the power shoppers here
also won't buy if the seller doesn't explicitly state that their beads are
kiln annealed.

There are quite a few really really really really good lampworkers that hang
out here. If you watch for even just a week, you'll pick up pretty quickly
on who they are and how strong their reputations are here. You could get
dehydrated from loss of drool on their work alone!! :-)

HTH,
Alison

"Peggy" wrote in message
...
I recently started to make my own hand-made jewelry, and am currently doing
my own wirework and metal clay. I have only purchased lampwork beads
twice: The first set I love. The second set were definitely flawed (there
were cracks where the artist removed the mandrel).

How can I learn to tell the difference between genuine hand-crafted
lampwork beads and cheap imported beads, especially when the seller says
that the beads are handmade? I like lampwork, but I really have no
interest in learning how to make my own lampwork beads. (I've already got
enough to learn about metal!)

I asked this question at a recent bead show, and someone suggested that I
look closely at the beads before purchasing them. This is a good idea if
you can see the beads before you buy, but it won't help me because I live
in the country, about an hour-and-a-half drive from the nearest city and
beadshop. The reality is that I have to purchase on-line. So I have to
look at pictures and Web sites to make a determination. What should I
look for?

Thanks in advance for your help!

P.S. I just started reading this newsgroup today, so please excuse me if
this question has already been asked and answered in this group.


"Dr. Sooz" wrote in message
...
LOL! Look at this one! She's billing firepolished as Swarovski, too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0&item=4924764
774&tc=photo

Whoa, that's fraud.
~~
Sooz
To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~~Joseph
Chilton
Pearce

Experience will help, in addition to buying from people on this list. I came
here a year or more ago not knowing the first thing about lampworked beads
and now I feel I know enough to buy comfortably off ebay. Seeing Good beads
helps you steer away from Not So Good Beads. Honest... You can learn to spot
quality.
Ill let the lampworkers describe the propertys that make the difference.
Diana

--
Heart and soul can make up for technical lacking in any form of art, but let
the heart be lacking and all the perfection means nothing.

"Peggy" wrote in message
...
I recently started to make my own hand-made jewelry, and am currently
doing
my own wirework and metal clay. I have only purchased lampwork beads
twice:
The first set I love. The second set were definitely flawed (there were
cracks where the artist removed the mandrel).

How can I learn to tell the difference between genuine hand-crafted
lampwork
beads and cheap imported beads, especially when the seller says that the
beads are handmade? I like lampwork, but I really have no interest in
learning how to make my own lampwork beads. (I've already got enough to
learn about metal!)

I asked this question at a recent bead show, and someone suggested that I
look closely at the beads before purchasing them. This is a good idea if
you can see the beads before you buy, but it won't help me because I live
in
the country, about an hour-and-a-half drive from the nearest city and
beadshop. The reality is that I have to purchase on-line. So I have to
look at pictures and Web sites to make a determination. What should I
look
for?

Thanks in advance for your help!

P.S. I just started reading this newsgroup today, so please excuse me if
this question has already been asked and answered in this group.

Thanks Kathy.

I sent it to my husbands puter so that I can open and compare without
freezing up.

--
Debbie (New Mexico)
Beading http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid5079814&pathID=724394
Polymer Clay http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid5079769&pathID=724393
Beaded Ornaments http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid5079557&pathID=724392

"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
. giganews.com...
On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 13:16:02 -0400, Peggy wrote
(in message ):

How can I learn to tell the difference between genuine hand-crafted
lampwork
beads and cheap imported beads, especially when the seller says that the
beads are handmade? I like lampwork, but I really have no interest in
learning how to make my own lampwork beads. (I've already got enough to
learn about metal!)

Easy way: Only buy from people you know. (I recommend this method
until you can tell the difference for yourself at a glance)

Harder way: Look at loads of beads. Here is Halstead Bead's site,
which has a little of everything.

http://www.halsteadbead.com/SiteMap.html

Compare the beads from the different countries. The ones listed from
East India look markedly different from the rest. The holes in them
are rough edged, the colors are different, and there is a white
powder in the holes. The powder is a form of bead release, meant to
keep the bead from sticking to the metal rod upon which the bead was
made (mandrel).

Now open another browser window. Open Kandice's site:

http://www.lampwork.net/

See the difference? These beads look _nothing_ like the mass
produced beads from Halstead. Now look at Kalera's site:

http://beadwife.com/

Very different beads from Kandice's, but they also have the mark of
an individual, and look nothing like mass production. Now, take a
look at a third site (I promise this is the last one):

http://beadbimbo.com/photo_gallery.htm

Jerri's beads are totally different than the ones made by Kalera or
Kandice, but again, bear the stamp of individuality.

If you go back to the lampwork.net site, there is an amazing list,
compiled by our friend Sooz, with a bajillion sites to visit. Check
some (or all) of them out. Each artisan lampworker has a unique
style, and no beads are exactly identical.

The other biggie is that artisan made lampwork (the good stuff) is
annealed in a kiln. Annealing means that the beads are brought to a
temperature sufficient to relieve the internal stress in the glass,
then allowed to cool very slowly. Cheapo lampwork is not annealed,
it's just not cost effective. The result is that a bead like that
can look just fine, but shatter with little or no warning, even a
year down the road.

One more thing is that the mass produced lampwork comes in a very
limited pallette of colors. Artisans are always trying to push the
envelope and often come up with colors you never dreamed of. If you
see an amazing color combination with shades that would make Mother
Nature scream, it's not mass produced.

This one last way is sneaky, but foolproof: ask the seller if (s)he
takes custom orders, because you want X beads in Y color and/or a
larger set. If it's an artisan, you'll be able to commission an
order or you'll get a long explanation about why (s)he no longer
takes custom orders. Almost always because they got so busy with
commissions that they had no time to do any experimenting - glass
people seem to be notorious for trying any whacked out thing to see
what happens. (I mean that in the nicest way, you guys) Wanna see
what I mean? Open this site:

http://blackswampglassworks.com/beadgallery.htm

With mass produced, you cannot order any custom color combinations
(ever), and the beads don't come in sets - unless you call 500
identical ugly beads a "set." You won't get an explanation, either -
at best you'll get an "ummm, the artist (who always is a "friend of
the seller") is out of town and can't make any more beads right
now."
In time, you'll be able to tell mass produced without a second
glance. You'll be able to tell good artisan lampwork from "meh"
stuff, too. BTW, I own stuff from all the sites I've sent you to,
and a lot of other gorgeous stuff besides. I wish I could send you
to all the sites to see the work of all the artists I drool over. I
can't resist - Just one more site:

http://klopmanstudios.com/Beads.htm

There are literally hundreds more sites and artists I wish I could
show you, and the dfference would become amazingly clear. It's a
quality that's even more obvious when you can touch the beads in
person. Artisan made beads "speak" to you when they're held, telling
you a story in glass. Bulk beads are "dead." They can be pretty,
but there is no story living within them.

I hope this little primer helps. Stick around the group, and
welcome. This is a good place.

Kathy N-V

P.S.: I feel so sad that I didn't mention all the other artists I
know. You guys, it's no reflection on you or your work. It's just
that this post is so freaking long as it is.

The very best way, when you're first getting started, is to buy only
from people with a reputation for quality... and the best way to learn
their reputation is to stick around here and see who gets talked about.
For example, if I start oohing and ahhing over Kim Neely's work, you can
rest assured that Kim is a good artist selling tip-top work (and how!).
Of course, Kim may be out of your price range... she's certainly out of
mine. But she's just the tip of the iceberg! Another way is to look for
"WC" or "BHV" in auction titles; that means that the seller is a member
of one of those groups, which are essentially just like this one,
dedicated to exchanging knowledge and furthering the advancements of
beads and beading as an art form. You can also look for the ISGB member
logo on the seller's auction or About Me page; that tells you they're a
member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers.

Last but far from least, after you have walked on the safe side for a
while and collected some nice beads, you will get to a point where you
can SEE the difference, just like that. Nice puckered or flat ends, no
chips around the holes, no chill marks, well-rounded dots that are
well-attached and won't pop off, no smearing, no scorching, precise
placement of design elements, and most of all, as Kathy said,
*individuality*... all these things will become apparent over time, with
experience. Don't be afraid... the water's fine.

Check out the "show and tell" threads on these sites:

http://www.wetcanvas.com
http://www.artglassforum.com
http://www.isgb.org

....and have fun!

-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.snipurl.com/kebay


Peggy wrote:
I recently started to make my own hand-made jewelry, and am currently doing
my own wirework and metal clay. I have only purchased lampwork beads twice:
The first set I love. The second set were definitely flawed (there were
cracks where the artist removed the mandrel).

How can I learn to tell the difference between genuine hand-crafted lampwork
beads and cheap imported beads, especially when the seller says that the
beads are handmade? I like lampwork, but I really have no interest in
learning how to make my own lampwork beads. (I've already got enough to
learn about metal!)

I asked this question at a recent bead show, and someone suggested that I
look closely at the beads before purchasing them. This is a good idea if
you can see the beads before you buy, but it won't help me because I live in
the country, about an hour-and-a-half drive from the nearest city and
beadshop. The reality is that I have to purchase on-line. So I have to
look at pictures and Web sites to make a determination. What should I look
for?

Thanks in advance for your help!

P.S. I just started reading this newsgroup today, so please excuse me if
this question has already been asked and answered in this group.


"Dr. Sooz" wrote in message
...

LOL! Look at this one! She's billing firepolished as Swarovski, too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0&item=4924764

774&tc=photo

Whoa, that's fraud.
~~
Sooz
To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~~Joseph
Chilton
Pearce

Right on, Kalera. I have seen so many auctions that are deceptive or in the
wrong category. I look at them and am deeply disappointed. Put into the
wrong category, they look like crap.

But put into the context of carefully chosen production beads, they can be
at the top of their category in quality and look impressive. Like the lady
VickiJ gets her Czech beads from; she designs and/or orders the best beads
for the American market.

Tina


"Kalera Stratton" wrote in message
...
The thing about it that's really lame is that I think they could do just
as well or better by NOT deceiving people... by saying "My lampwork is
made in india by skilled handcrafters; I carefully cull, clean, and
kiln-anneal the beads myself, before dividing them into small sets with
carefully selected accent beads. My goal is to do the handpicking so
that you, the jewelry artist, don't have to. Enjoy!"

-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.snipurl.com/kebay


Kandice Seeber wrote:
shaking head These people must be desperate. They see lampwork
going for decent prices and think - "hey, I will try my hand at selling
imports and see if I can get big bucks by name dropping and using jargon
I
have no idea about!!!". It's sad, really.

Kathy, Very good post. I hope this helps Peggy.

I don't think I could have said it better.

Lara


ebay ID: lutrick


"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
. giganews.com...
On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 13:16:02 -0400, Peggy wrote
(in message ):

How can I learn to tell the difference between genuine hand-crafted
lampwork
beads and cheap imported beads, especially when the seller says that the
beads are handmade? I like lampwork, but I really have no interest in
learning how to make my own lampwork beads. (I've already got enough to
learn about metal!)

Easy way: Only buy from people you know. (I recommend this method
until you can tell the difference for yourself at a glance)

Harder way: Look at loads of beads. Here is Halstead Bead's site,
which has a little of everything.

http://www.halsteadbead.com/SiteMap.html

Compare the beads from the different countries. The ones listed from
East India look markedly different from the rest. The holes in them
are rough edged, the colors are different, and there is a white
powder in the holes. The powder is a form of bead release, meant to
keep the bead from sticking to the metal rod upon which the bead was
made (mandrel).

Now open another browser window. Open Kandice's site:

http://www.lampwork.net/

See the difference? These beads look _nothing_ like the mass
produced beads from Halstead. Now look at Kalera's site:

http://beadwife.com/

Very different beads from Kandice's, but they also have the mark of
an individual, and look nothing like mass production. Now, take a
look at a third site (I promise this is the last one):

http://beadbimbo.com/photo_gallery.htm

Jerri's beads are totally different than the ones made by Kalera or
Kandice, but again, bear the stamp of individuality.

If you go back to the lampwork.net site, there is an amazing list,
compiled by our friend Sooz, with a bajillion sites to visit. Check
some (or all) of them out. Each artisan lampworker has a unique
style, and no beads are exactly identical.

The other biggie is that artisan made lampwork (the good stuff) is
annealed in a kiln. Annealing means that the beads are brought to a
temperature sufficient to relieve the internal stress in the glass,
then allowed to cool very slowly. Cheapo lampwork is not annealed,
it's just not cost effective. The result is that a bead like that
can look just fine, but shatter with little or no warning, even a
year down the road.

One more thing is that the mass produced lampwork comes in a very
limited pallette of colors. Artisans are always trying to push the
envelope and often come up with colors you never dreamed of. If you
see an amazing color combination with shades that would make Mother
Nature scream, it's not mass produced.

This one last way is sneaky, but foolproof: ask the seller if (s)he
takes custom orders, because you want X beads in Y color and/or a
larger set. If it's an artisan, you'll be able to commission an
order or you'll get a long explanation about why (s)he no longer
takes custom orders. Almost always because they got so busy with
commissions that they had no time to do any experimenting - glass
people seem to be notorious for trying any whacked out thing to see
what happens. (I mean that in the nicest way, you guys) Wanna see
what I mean? Open this site:

http://blackswampglassworks.com/beadgallery.htm

With mass produced, you cannot order any custom color combinations
(ever), and the beads don't come in sets - unless you call 500
identical ugly beads a "set." You won't get an explanation, either -
at best you'll get an "ummm, the artist (who always is a "friend of
the seller") is out of town and can't make any more beads right
now."
In time, you'll be able to tell mass produced without a second
glance. You'll be able to tell good artisan lampwork from "meh"
stuff, too. BTW, I own stuff from all the sites I've sent you to,
and a lot of other gorgeous stuff besides. I wish I could send you
to all the sites to see the work of all the artists I drool over. I
can't resist - Just one more site:

http://klopmanstudios.com/Beads.htm

There are literally hundreds more sites and artists I wish I could
show you, and the dfference would become amazingly clear. It's a
quality that's even more obvious when you can touch the beads in
person. Artisan made beads "speak" to you when they're held, telling
you a story in glass. Bulk beads are "dead." They can be pretty,
but there is no story living within them.

I hope this little primer helps. Stick around the group, and
welcome. This is a good place.

Kathy N-V

P.S.: I feel so sad that I didn't mention all the other artists I
know. You guys, it's no reflection on you or your work. It's just
that this post is so freaking long as it is.

All really good points. Once you get to know lampwork, you will be able
to tell the difference.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

How can I learn to tell the difference between genuine hand-crafted
lampwork
beads and cheap imported beads, especially when the seller says that the
beads are handmade? I like lampwork, but I really have no interest in
learning how to make my own lampwork beads. (I've already got enough to
learn about metal!)

Easy way: Only buy from people you know. (I recommend this method
until you can tell the difference for yourself at a glance)

Harder way: Look at loads of beads. Here is Halstead Bead's site,
which has a little of everything.

http://www.halsteadbead.com/SiteMap.html

Compare the beads from the different countries. The ones listed from
East India look markedly different from the rest. The holes in them
are rough edged, the colors are different, and there is a white
powder in the holes. The powder is a form of bead release, meant to
keep the bead from sticking to the metal rod upon which the bead was
made (mandrel).

Now open another browser window. Open Kandice's site:

http://www.lampwork.net/

See the difference? These beads look _nothing_ like the mass
produced beads from Halstead. Now look at Kalera's site:

http://beadwife.com/

Very different beads from Kandice's, but they also have the mark of
an individual, and look nothing like mass production. Now, take a
look at a third site (I promise this is the last one):

http://beadbimbo.com/photo_gallery.htm

Jerri's beads are totally different than the ones made by Kalera or
Kandice, but again, bear the stamp of individuality.

If you go back to the lampwork.net site, there is an amazing list,
compiled by our friend Sooz, with a bajillion sites to visit. Check
some (or all) of them out. Each artisan lampworker has a unique
style, and no beads are exactly identical.

The other biggie is that artisan made lampwork (the good stuff) is
annealed in a kiln. Annealing means that the beads are brought to a
temperature sufficient to relieve the internal stress in the glass,
then allowed to cool very slowly. Cheapo lampwork is not annealed,
it's just not cost effective. The result is that a bead like that
can look just fine, but shatter with little or no warning, even a
year down the road.

One more thing is that the mass produced lampwork comes in a very
limited pallette of colors. Artisans are always trying to push the
envelope and often come up with colors you never dreamed of. If you
see an amazing color combination with shades that would make Mother
Nature scream, it's not mass produced.

This one last way is sneaky, but foolproof: ask the seller if (s)he
takes custom orders, because you want X beads in Y color and/or a
larger set. If it's an artisan, you'll be able to commission an
order or you'll get a long explanation about why (s)he no longer
takes custom orders. Almost always because they got so busy with
commissions that they had no time to do any experimenting - glass
people seem to be notorious for trying any whacked out thing to see
what happens. (I mean that in the nicest way, you guys) Wanna see
what I mean? Open this site:

http://blackswampglassworks.com/beadgallery.htm

With mass produced, you cannot order any custom color combinations
(ever), and the beads don't come in sets - unless you call 500
identical ugly beads a "set." You won't get an explanation, either -
at best you'll get an "ummm, the artist (who always is a "friend of
the seller") is out of town and can't make any more beads right
now."
In time, you'll be able to tell mass produced without a second
glance. You'll be able to tell good artisan lampwork from "meh"
stuff, too. BTW, I own stuff from all the sites I've sent you to,
and a lot of other gorgeous stuff besides. I wish I could send you
to all the sites to see the work of all the artists I drool over. I
can't resist - Just one more site:

http://klopmanstudios.com/Beads.htm

There are literally hundreds more sites and artists I wish I could
show you, and the dfference would become amazingly clear. It's a
quality that's even more obvious when you can touch the beads in
person. Artisan made beads "speak" to you when they're held, telling
you a story in glass. Bulk beads are "dead." They can be pretty,
but there is no story living within them.

I hope this little primer helps. Stick around the group, and
welcome. This is a good place.

Kathy N-V

P.S.: I feel so sad that I didn't mention all the other artists I
know. You guys, it's no reflection on you or your work. It's just
that this post is so freaking long as it is.

On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 16:43:47 -0700, "Kandice Seeber"
wrote:

This one last way is sneaky, but foolproof: ask the seller if (s)he
takes custom orders, because you want X beads in Y color and/or a
larger set. If it's an artisan, you'll be able to commission an
order or you'll get a long explanation about why (s)he no longer
takes custom orders. Almost always because they got so busy with
commissions that they had no time to do any experimenting - glass
people seem to be notorious for trying any whacked out thing to see
what happens. (I mean that in the nicest way, you guys) Wanna see
what I mean? Open this site:

http://blackswampglassworks.com/beadgallery.htm


ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is EXACTLY it!

Tink
Check here for available work:
http://blackswampglassworks.com/latest.htm

Part of finding good beads, is knowing what you like.

As it happens for me, I like clear colors, very true, and well defined. And
it just happens that when glass is over-worked it gets muddied. And because
I like clear colors and transparent glass, I now know that I want will
probably be made of a glass like Morretti. Boro is a sort of deep and
usually dark glass, that has interesting thing emerge from it, especially in
bright sunlight, but usually is not as clear, nor as vibrant as what I
usually prefer..

I strongly encourage you to study the photos of the beads, and also the
wording. But, you know, it won't be until you've had some of these beads in
your hands that you'll really understand what people are talking about. Go
ahead and chance some of the lower priced auctions. It will probably be way
better than most beads you've seen. And if it's low priced it will probably
still be on the lower edge of what you'd really like.

There is usually, but, not always, a clue to their quality in the starting
price. I've seen some very nice sets for as low as $10, but that's usually
either a fluke, or someone who has recently improved and her prices haven't
caught up yet. Usually beads like that go for $15 to $25. Very many
established artists will list a set, especially a fairly simple set, at
around $25 and sell for $25 to $40. I usually look at sets I can get for
$25 to $35. Good reliable craftsmanship. For specialized beads, you can
expect to pay between $50 and $100. I have gotten a few of those sets too.

But start out with the less expensive beads and look at the differences in
quality within that price range. You will come to recognize what you like,
and how it looks on photos.

And I'm glad to see you're exploring Kathy's advice too.

Tina


"Peggy" wrote in message
...
I recently started to make my own hand-made jewelry, and am currently
doing
my own wirework and metal clay. I have only purchased lampwork beads
twice:
The first set I love. The second set were definitely flawed (there were
cracks where the artist removed the mandrel).

How can I learn to tell the difference between genuine hand-crafted
lampwork
beads and cheap imported beads, especially when the seller says that the
beads are handmade? I like lampwork, but I really have no interest in
learning how to make my own lampwork beads. (I've already got enough to
learn about metal!)

I asked this question at a recent bead show, and someone suggested that I
look closely at the beads before purchasing them. This is a good idea if
you can see the beads before you buy, but it won't help me because I live
in
the country, about an hour-and-a-half drive from the nearest city and
beadshop. The reality is that I have to purchase on-line. So I have to
look at pictures and Web sites to make a determination. What should I
look
for?

Thanks in advance for your help!

P.S. I just started reading this newsgroup today, so please excuse me if
this question has already been asked and answered in this group.


"Dr. Sooz" wrote in message
...
LOL! Look at this one! She's billing firepolished as Swarovski, too.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0&item=4924764
774&tc=photo

Whoa, that's fraud.
~~
Sooz
To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~~Joseph
Chilton
Pearce