Charles Kaziun, Jr. was born on May 18, 1919 in Brockton, Massachusetts and started experimenting with glass at the age of 14, first making buttons and later paperweights, using a crude homemade benzene torch(made from a coffee can). He grew to become one of the most important and influential paperweight artists of the Mid 20th Century. His masterful works encompass the very best of paperweight techniques, including lampwork, millefiori, and crimp flowers.