Beads

Wound hollow beads are made by creating two glass "walls" constructed on a mandrel, then sealed together, trapping air between them. When heated, the trapped air expands and pushes out the softened glass walls, forming a puffy, lightweight bead.

Why hollow beads? From the perspective of jewelry designers, less is more.

Hollow beads, by definition, weigh less than solid beads of the same size, making them ideal design elements for necklaces and earrings. From the glass artist's perspective, there's something challenging and magical about making hollow beads.