A photograph of the original piece I used as my inspiration can be seen in Anatolske Glasperler by Torben Sode.

copyright 2000, 2001, Jhan A. Knebel
rixende@timelessbeads.com

Gold-Glass Beads
Roman Glass Beads from Turkey
First through Fourth Century AD

About the Piece

Originally, I designed a very similar bead as a gift for a friend as a "worry bead." The bead I designed was a barrel bead with two transparent colors applied over silver foil. I then added clear dots that are left raised above the surface of the glass to create the bumps.

Soon thereafter, I was visiting a bead show where I found reference to the gold-glass beads. The reference clearly showed that the bead I had designed was very similar to beads found in Turkey during the first through fourth centuries. I begun creating this bead in a more period fashion, by eliminating the two transparent colors and replacing them with a layer of clear glass.

Production Method

This style of bead is produced by using a hot-head torch and MAPP gas. The glass is heated in the flame until molten and applied to a stainless steel mandrel coated in bead release (slip.) The first layer of clear glass is applied to the mandrel and shaped into a barrel using a graphite marvering paddle.

A sheet of fine silver foil (.999) is cut to desired size and rolled on to the bead, making sure that all of the bead's surface is covered. Any excess silver is burned off the bead in the flame.

A second layer of clear glass is applied to cover the entire surface of the bead taking care to ensure that no air is trapped in the layer. The bead is again marvered into a barrel shaped.

Clear dots of glass are applied to the surface of the bead. These dots are melted into the surface enough to ensure adhesion to the glass, but are left raised as shown on the period examples.

The beads are placed in a fiber blanket for cooling. They will be annealed once I either purchase or gain access to a kiln. I chose to use silver in the construction of these beads due to the prohibitive cost of gold foil and leaf. In period, a kiln powered by a wood fire and bellows was used. However, I have not had the location available to build a period kiln.

Resources

Sode, Torben. Anatolske Glasperler. Copenhagen: Thot, 1996

Francis, Pete."Gold-Glass Beads" E-Mail to Jhan Knebel. September 1999.