The method and technology of making hand-crafted glass beads is regarded as one of the oldest creative hobbies of humans.  Egyptian faience beads are glass-like beads which come from a sort of clay bead that has a self-forming vitreous coating.  They are perhaps the earliest beads found from the ancient Egyptians.  In some cultures, glass objects were reserved for royalty and owning a glass object was closely associated with owning other luxurious objects. 

What are glass beads anyway?  Glass beads are beads made from glass.  They are often called lamp work beads.  This kind of bead can be poured into moulds, cut and polished as pretend gemstones, and can be stretched and pulled into any shape you desire.  These beads can be easy or ornamental depending on the artist's preference.  Different kinds of glass and colors are used and played with to create the desired look.  Before you begin to make your own beads and end up with a bowl full of different types of beads all mixed up, take a while to learn How to Organize Your Beading Stuffs. 

The first thing to do before using the torch and other dangerous tools for glass bead making is learn some Safety Tips in Jewelry Making.  These tools can be very dangerous not only to you, but to others around you.  When making glass beads, you have to melt a narrow rod of glass employing a torch.  The molten glass is wound around a mandrel which is a thin length of stainless steel.  The space where the mandrel is placed becomes the hole of the bead.  Holding and turning the mandrel in different positions permits gravity to help form the bead.  There are specific tools required for pushing and pulling glass beads to form different types of shapes. 

Working with a lamp to form glass beads isn't easy, but patience and practice will help on the way.  You've got to remember that you are working with glass and a torch ; you will have to learn the different levels of heat that are required for the glass to flow. 

The beads are pulled out from the flame to chill ; they are left out in the open air that means that while the outside of the bead is rapidly cooling, it's still really hot inside.  The uneven temperature resulting from this method will probably cause a bead to break as the beads often cool too quickly.  

Kiln annealing is a method by which both the outside and inside temperature can be closely regulated.  The bead is placed in a high temperature kiln to make sure that all of the glass is uniformly heated.  After a few hours, the beads can now be put out at room temperature for cooling.  But it is significant to be sure that the glass beads you buy are all kiln hardened.  For miniscule glass beads, you can also try cooling them within layers of insulation.  This method is different from the hardening process but it has proven to be effective for small amounts of glass.  Most products and tools come with a set, so always follow the Beading Instructions an Important Tool for Beading if you want to learn and get it right.