The Allure of Besa's Hand-crafted Glass

EUROPEAN TRADITION
The glass for each of our luminaires is handcrafted in Europe using traditional methods,
passed down from generation to generation. The personal experience and artistry of the
glass maker himself determines the quality of the final object. With mouth-blown glass,
every piece is an original, possessing its own character. Small variations in thickness, color,
decor pattern and dimensions are normal. You may even find a few visible air bubbles.

HAND FORMING
To form a glass shade, molten glass is taken out of the furnace with a pipe. It's pre-formed
by turning and blowing. Then the still viscous material is blown into a mold to give it the final
shape. For pressed glass, the glass is poured into a mold and pressed into shape with a
stamp. After being removed from the mold and the pipe, the glass item is made stronger
by a slow process of reheating and controlled cooling. This removes tensions in the material
itself. Further work includes cutting, grinding and polishing, and any final decorating.
Decorating can include etching, painting or handcutting.

ACHIEVING DEPTH
Clear glass is a single transparent layer. Opal glass is a diffused white. Frit glass utilizes small bits of colored
glass applied to the surface of an item while the glass is still extremely hot, creating irregular patterns and
multi-colored surfaces. Cased glass features a colored glass layered with a clear or opaque glass. It can be
etched or cut to reveal the inner layer. Multi-layered glass can be especially attractive. Several layers of colored
and clear glass together achieve a rich color and optical depth.

Handcrafted glass shades offer beauty while still effectively directing and/or diffusing the light output of the fixture.
At Besa Lighting, we believe that this traditional art adds real value to your contemporary lighting.