About the Artist

Sweetgrass Beads was started in 2002 by lampwork artist Kim Hergert. Kim has been making jewelry for as long as she can remember. She dabbled in silversmithing, stained glass and other forms of creative expression before discovering the medium of lampworked glass. The vast palate of vibrant colors inspire her vivacious and vivid designs.

Kim works from her home studio in Athens, Ohio where she lives with her two cats, Fargo and Lucia, and her partner Adam. She can be reached by email at aquaria44@sweetgrassbeads.com.

 

About the Beads

Kim’s beads are made with moretti/effetre glass, also known as soda-lime or soft glass. They are individually made by winding molten glass around a stainless steel rod. After she forms each one in the torch, they are kiln annealed at 980 degrees and slowly brought back down to room temperature. The cooling process takes anywhere from 8-10 hours, and is essential to the life of the beads. By slow cooling, or annealing, any internal stress in the glass in eliminated, greatly reducing the chances of cracks or breaks later on.