Flamework, or lampwork is a process in which pencil thick glass rods are heated to a molten state over a torch, the rods I use are Moretti glass, a brand of soft glass from Italy that comes in many colors, both transparent and opaque.  The molten glass is wrapped around a stainless steel mandrel that has been dipped in a clay mixture called bead release, to insure that the bead is able to be removed from the mandrel after it has annealed and cooled in the kiln.  This wrapping forms a disc of glass on the mandrel that is then rounded out,  more colors of glass, or powders and frits are added to the surface of the bead in various patterns and textures to add interest and decoration to the bead.  The bead is then placed in an annealing kiln, where the temperature is slowly dropped past the stress point of the glass, to insure durability and a long life for the bead. The beads are kept in the kiln overnight, and slowly cooled to room temperature, then removed from the mandrels and cleaned so that the holes of the beads are free of all bead release.