This piece was created by Merritt and her Dragon (a mobile glassblowing studio) located in her backyard.
Each orb is a single gather* of glass which allows it to be very light and fragile. Along with the clear glass this orb is coated with a black colored frit but in the light it changes to look like a dark purple. When the orb is hit off the blowpipe a clear hook is applied to the top to finish it off. 
 
*one dip into the molten glass