After being ‘picked’ from the end of a hollow rod, the molten crystal (the parison) is rolled with a mallet – a hollow cherry wood tool. The glassmaker uses the mallet to round the crystal into a ball shape and gives it a continuous rotating movement by leaning on a glassmaker’s bench. The ball is then mouth-blown into the desired final shape. The glassmaker also checks for the presence or absence of micro-bubbles inside or outside the glowing mass before removing them. Mastering the whole process takes years of learning.