How Glass Beads are Made

 We drove out into the countryside until we arrived at TK Beads behind a closed gate. We entered a fantastic artesian world where old glass is turned into new beads. 

Strings and strings of glass beads of every color line a room at TK beads

These are the itty-bitty beads that the package says are made in China - the word is they came from Czechoslovakia (aren't they two countries now?). Maybe the itty-bitty glass comes from both countries.

Tiny beads are poured into a clay mold - sometimes with other colors placed in for design

They are placed into a clay oven or kiln until the glass melts - I think this glass takes one hour

Then it is pulled out with a paddle and batches are set on two different clay tables on either side of the man working the oven

These men hold the hot mold with one instrument and poke a hole in the melted glass with another

 to form a hole to make it into a bead.

Then using a paddle, he sets the finished beads down on the ground in a row to dry

Hot beads waiting to cool. Colors come from which itty bitty glass is first used.

Another type of bead takes a much longer process to accomplish. These are the larger beads made from recycled glass. Bottles (all kinds of colors), mirrors, windows, etc. are used to make custom beads.

The process starts off with the glass that is crushed and broken up in either a crusher or by hand in this cylindric container.

The crusher looked electric. This container uses a long pole mallet. They crush the glass until it is powder, then if wanted use a glass dye to color the glass. Sometimes they use the glass the color that it is, sometimes they add a color.

 

TK Beads have molds to make the glass beads. The mold is filled with the glass powder.

They have MANY shapes and sizes

This mold will produce a long narrow bead

A  cassava stem is added to the powder to create the bead hole, then trimmed off at the top of the mold  

It is put in a medium hot kiln for 15 minutes, then put into the hot kiln for four hours. 

The kiln looks simple, but deciding the heat and time seems to be done largely by the man at the front. I did not see any watches, or timers, or any degree markings or thermometers. I believe it is just craftsmanship that has been learned for a long time.

I observed that he would pull all the molds out of one row, he would give two molds to the man on his right and then two molds to the man on his left. When the row was empty he scooped up the waiting molds with his paddle and put them in the empty row in the Kiln. 

Elizabeth, our guide told us the wood was very hard wood and was brought in from a different place. The logs are placed in the kiln at the end with the rest of the log outside of it. When that burned through, they would push the log further in. I couldn't decide when they decided to push the long  log further in.

There is a small chimney at the top. Smoke would shift with the wind different ways. 

After the first foray into the kiln, the glass is taken out and cooled for hours, then the long beads are arranged on a long metal rod to be "painted". 

Cooked and cooled

Arranged on a rod with a cork to keep them on.

 

Then the artisan takes the top silver tool in her hand and fills it with glass powder of a different color and "paints" a design on the top of the cooled beads. No paint will ever rub off their beads as the paint is another coat of glass.

Then into the kiln again for more hours, then cooling.

Then the beads are washed with water on a screen that brightens them up

After the baking, cooling, and washing process, the beads are dried out and put on large tables where men and women take each bead putting it on a string of like beads to be shipped, or sold to the markets. TK Beads ships many of it's beads to America and other places.

I walked into a room filled with every color and size of bead I could image. A rainbow of colors. I immediately thought my sister would think she was in heaven if she could be where I was. Diana makes all kinds of jewelry and has for years and years. Actually I don't think I have much jewelry she hasn't made. 

Elizabeth said they don't make the rock jewelry, but they do ship it

Way too many choices for me. Sister Despain was able to imagine what she wanted and bought a lot. Elder Despain took pictures and video of everything.

Staking up the finished beads

We saw where another four kilns are going into an open air 'building' and their business is growing very fast. The artisanship and craftsmanship are absolutely amazing. I don't think I understand or know even half of this endeavor.