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There
are two categories of Lampwork glass; Soft glass and Hard
glass.
Effetre
(soft glass) is a soda lime based glass and is
called soft because it has a lower melting temperature,
holds heat longer, has a longer working time when removed
from the flame and is softer and easier to manipulate. Moretti,
Murano, Lausha, Bullseye, Satake and P.I.G. are all soft
glasses.
Borosilicate
(hard glass) is a boron based glass and is called hard because
it has a higher melting temperature, does not hold heat
very long, has a short working time when removed from the
flame and is stiffer than soft glass. Glass Alchemy, Northstar,
Colormax, Momka, Duran and Pyrex are all hard glasses.
Where
does Effetre glass come from?
The
glasses we use are popular and widely distributed composites
known as Moretti, Lauscha and Murano glass. Moretti and
Murano are manufactured in Venice, Italy on the island of
Murano and Lauscha is manufatured in Lauscha, Germany. Effetre
Glass is provided to lampwork artists in the shape of glass
rods. The rods are easily spun in the flame which helps
evenly distribute the heat. The Effetre company and the
island of Murano shares a long traditon of Venitian glass
manufacturing. The island has been officially designated
as an industrial center for glass work since 1291 AD. A
close relationship between Artists, Glass Manufacturers,
and Merchants has enabled Venice to serve as a world leader
in the glass arts since the 1500's.
Many
of the reciepes, processes, and raw materials used to create
Effetre glass rods are closely guarded secrets handed down
over generations. The color in beads made from Murano glass
of the 16th century is as bright today as when the beads
were made. It is nice to know the beads you see today will
be bright and clear in the future as well. A benifit to
todays artists is the freedom that years of testing and
refinement provide as more combinations of color and style
are possible than than ever before.
Lampwork artists throughout the world continue a great Venitian
glass working tradition when they choose soft glass.
Do glass beads really last for centuries?
Yes!
Glass beads are known to last for hundreds, even thousands
of years. A remarkable characteristic of glass is that it
retains color better than almost any other art material.
The soft glass we use has been manufactured in Murano, Italy
for centuries and is proven to hold finish, lustre, and
color with no special storage requirements. Oil paintings
and antique metal works are far more fragile.
The round shape of most beads is inherently strong, however
we take an additional step to strengthen our beads by annealling
them in a kiln. The annealing process involves reheating
the bead slowly and keeping it hot in a near molten state
long enough for any tension or stress, trapped as the bead
was formed, to self-adjust and even out. The beads are cooled
very slowly, and the annealling process takes about 5 hours
but the beads become much stronger.
The beads we offer are hand made and computer/kiln annealled,
with the intention of providing years of satifaction and
hierloom quality.
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