An apparatus for holding and retaining glassware during ion exchange processing, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of ware keepers for receiving glassware; and a base frame, characterised in that: each ware keeper of the plurality of ware keepers comprises: a retention body comprising a wire coil circumscribing a glassware receiving volume, wherein a lower-most winding of the wire coil of the retention body has a winding diameter that is less than a winding diameter of windings in the remainder of the retention body such that the lower-most winding of the wire coil of the retention body forms a ware stop in the retention body; and a spacer coil extending from the retention body below the ware stop; and the base frame comprises: a plurality of apertures extending through the base frame, and a plurality of support rods supported over the top surface of the base frame and extending across a length of the base frame, wherein each of the plurality of ware keepers is positioned in a corresponding aperture in the base frame such that the retention body of each ware keeper is above a top surface of the base frame and the spacer coil of each ware keeper is below a bottom surface of the base frame and each ware keeper of the plurality of ware keepers is engaged with one of the plurality of support rods. a plurality of ware keepers for receiving glassware; and a base frame, characterised in that: each ware keeper of the plurality of ware keepers comprises: a retention body comprising a wire coil circumscribing a glassware receiving volume, wherein a lower-most winding of the wire coil of the retention body has a winding diameter that is less than a winding diameter of windings in the remainder of the retention body such that the lower-most winding of the wire coil of the retention body forms a ware stop in the retention body; and a spacer coil extending from the retention body below the ware stop; and the base frame comprises: a plurality of apertures extending through the base frame, and a plurality of support rods supported over the top surface of the base frame and extending across a length of the base frame, wherein each of the plurality of ware keepers is positioned in a corresponding aperture in the base frame such that the retention body of each ware keeper is above a top surface of the base frame and the spacer coil of each ware keeper is below a bottom surface of the base frame and each ware keeper of the plurality of ware keepers is engaged with one of the plurality of support rods. each ware keeper of the plurality of ware keepers comprises: a retention body comprising a wire coil circumscribing a glassware receiving volume, wherein a lower-most winding of the wire coil of the retention body has a winding diameter that is less than a winding diameter of windings in the remainder of the retention body such that the lower-most winding of the wire coil of the retention body forms a ware stop in the retention body; and a spacer coil extending from the retention body below the ware stop; and a retention body comprising a wire coil circumscribing a glassware receiving volume, wherein a lower-most winding of the wire coil of the retention body has a winding diameter that is less than a winding diameter of windings in the remainder of the retention body such that the lower-most winding of the wire coil of the retention body forms a ware stop in the retention body; and a spacer coil extending from the retention body below the ware stop; and the base frame comprises: a plurality of apertures extending through the base frame, and a plurality of support rods supported over the top surface of the base frame and extending across a length of the base frame, wherein each of the plurality of ware keepers is positioned in a corresponding aperture in the base frame such that the retention body of each ware keeper is above a top surface of the base frame and the spacer coil of each ware keeper is below a bottom surface of the base frame and each ware keeper of the plurality of ware keepers is engaged with one of the plurality of support rods.