Lampworked beads are handmade by melting rods of glass with a torch and then forming the molten glass into beads.
This heart has a sweet flower-and-leaf design on a translucent heart of orange glass.
The heart is about 19 mm in size and was handmade in California by a company called Grace Lampwork.
I used sterling silver wire to attach the heart to a jump ring with a wrapped loop. Then I threaded a yard of brown grosgrain ribbon through the ring, and added a high-quality cultured pearl on another jump ring.
The ribbon is long enough to tie a bow at the back of your neck. It's also long enough that you can adjust the length of the necklace to suit whatever you are wearing.
If you find the ribbon is too long, cut it with a very sharp pair of scissors.
The necklace is one of a kind, of course.
Price: $85, which includes postage, insurance, and so on. To order:
I would love to make lampwork beads myself, but I don't think I have the necessary hand-eye coordination, plus, I'm afraid of the torch.
If you feel like trying your hand, here are some instructions, from the Beadworx site:
Photos: @ Monica Strasen 2010.
@ Jeanne Sather 2011.