Lampwork beads are made by using a blowtorch to head a rod of glass and spinning the resulting thread around a metal rod. When the base bead has been formed, other colors of glass can be added to the surface to create many designs. Often times, after this initial stage of the beadmaking process is done, the bead is further fired in an oven to increase it's sheen and to make it more durable. Czech glass beads are the best quality available!