The "Zissou Water Globe Lampwork Pendant" by Tink Martin

This bead, the Zissou Water Globe Bead, designed by bead artist and glass bead blowing engineer, Tink Martin, may be one of the coolest beads I've seen in ages.<br><br>The bead is actually a tiny little glass water globe, hand-blown, and filled with what Tink describes as her own "glassworking history: Stringers and tiny cane that I have been gathering for the last five years just for these water globes. There are bits of intense goldstone, dichro, stripeys, stamens and more. There is also a wee bit of high quality German glass glitter inside, too, which comes to life when you tilt the pendant."

The silver cap on top is also hand-made by Tink, and the miniature, handmade handmade glass canes are suspended in glycerin, rather than in water as is sometimes found in paperweight snow globes. This is done to encourage the glass to move slowly through the liquid, and to better show off the beauty and glitter inside, plus it helps prtect the fragile pieces of glass cane.

A truly innovative bead, and one that I hope will set a refreshing trend in bead sales. Of course, the "water globe" effect is something we have not seen before, but when looking at this bead keep in mind: it contains all handmade elements specifically earmarked for this piece, not just miscellaneous glass bits cleaned up off the workbench. The addition of the German glass glitter adds the perfect touch, one that will make this bead sing out when seen in the light. It will never look the same way twice, not for al long as you own it. Each of the individual slivers of cane were also hand made, giving this lively piece even more energy.

It is refreshing to see individual beads created using such compelling techniques; I look forward to seeing more designers get back to making an occasional individual bead; a bead that speaks for itself. Often, the energy and creative "juices" that go into an individual bead (or vessel) carries as much creative energy as a set of 30 beads created using even the most spectacular glass available on the market.

It is my fervent hope that not only will we begin to see more of Tink's innovative works available for purchase, but to see the banner of the single-bead statement take up by more bead makers would be a designer without the resources to purchase these vast sets of beads, to make purchase and enjoy designing with a single handmade bead, one that, like this masterpiece by Tink Martin, can speak for itself.