Transparent glass-to-glass hermetic seals are formed by providing a low melting temperature sealing glass along a sealing interface between two glass substrates and irradiating the interface with laser radiation. Absorption by the sealing glass and induced transient absorption by the glass substrates along the sealing interface causes localized heating and melting of both the sealing glass layer and the substrate materials, which results in the formation of a glass-to-glass weld. Due to the transient absorption by the substrate material, the sealed region is transparent upon cooling.