Venetian Glass Murano Beads from Venice Italy

Murano glass (also known as Venetian Glass) is arguably the most beautiful in the world; handmade on the little island of Murano close to Venice, where glassworking factories have been since the 12th Century.
We are passionate about Venice, we love the place, the people and the beautiful glass that comes out of the island of Murano, believing deeply that it is the most beautiful handmade glass we could source for our customers;  we are deeply appreciative of the wonderful history of both Venice and Venetian glass, and are delighted that we are able to help support this ancient and handmade industry by offering our customers the beads and pendants made by talented Murano glass artists, many of whom themselves come from a long line of glass workers going back into antiquity.   
We are lucky enough to work with some of the best glass artisans on Murano, both with Murano glass factories and with individual artists, and many have their own particular specialities, which means we are not dealing with production line bead making, but with artists who take pride in their work and art; much of the glass is embellished with precious metal foils (24kt yellow gold, white gold or sterling silver), this adds to its desirability and gives the beads a distinctive inner glow and beauty, foiled glass is a speciality of Murano glass but you can also find Murano glass which is opaque, translucent, opaque or everything in between, indeed if you can imagine it, it is possible that someone on the island of Murano may have made something similar going back into history.   A visit to the glass museum on the island of Murano is highly recommended, as it contains examples of many ancient beads, jewellery items and both decorative and everyday glassware such as mirrors, glasses or vases.   

Many of our customers also develop a deep appreciation for Murano glass in the same way we have, whether it is because of the history, which goes back to at least the 12th Century when the glass making industries of Venice were moved to the island of Murano which is an island a couple of miles away from the heart of Venice, this was done to ensure that the fires and furnaces necessary to produce the distinctive Venetian glass did not burn down Venice itself.   

The terms Venetian glass and Murano glass are used interchangeably, Murano is part of Venice, and you may hear the words Murano, Venetian and Venice used for exactly the same item.   

Using Murano glass in your handmade jewellery will give your necklaces, bracelets, or earrings an extra special something, and it is often of great interest to customers who might buy your creations that your components or focal beads originated in a place that they once visited, or aspire to visit.   When you give a short history of the beads or pendant you have used, this often sparks great interest.   We are great believers that if you are taking the time to make a piece of jewellery, then it is worth putting the best you can find into it, and the romance and history of this glass is unique and this provenance is  hard to beat.    It is worth remembering that each and every bead or pendant is handmade and because this glass is not made by machines, that each bead or pendant is unique - no two are exactly the same; this often appeals to makers of handmade jewellery who understand that every bracelet, necklace and earring they make is a unique creation, as individual as each and every one of us is.

We have been trading with Venice for 20 years plus; every time we place an order, each time a delivery of our precious glass arrives, and each time we are lucky enough to visit Murano or Venice itself, we feel the delight of knowing we are connected to a wonderful industry made possible by extraordinarily talented artisans.  

You can be assured that all our Venetian glass offered via BeadAddict is handmade Venetian/ Murano glass from trusted sources, and this is a provenance which will add value to your creative endeavours.    

You can see our range here

Please refer to our hints and tips section to find out how to make a pendant from a bead, or how to try our Sterling Silver 'Add a Bead' finding here.

We also have a great selection of Murano glass pendants here.