Global Travel + Jewelry Stories
The Story of Murano Glass, Italy
This spotlight is on the story behind our Murano Glass pieces, global treasures from beautiful Italy brought to our site. After glassmakers were forced out of Venice due to destructive fires from their glass furnaces, many of the artists moved to the island of Murano which has become known world-wide for its rich, color-infused glass. We visited the island to see their beautiful glass artwork but most of all to shop for unique glass jewelry-making materials and pendants, and we were so excited with what we found. Sure enough, almost every shop lining the cobblestone walkways over the canals showed off shelves of colorful and sparkling Murano glass.
The coolest workshop was overflowing with boxes of handmade glass beads, and in the attached room a woman was making the glass beads that we were about to buy. She dipped long thin rods that held small colorful balls of glass on their ends into the furnace and sat patiently twisting the glass in the small fire below her hands. (See pictures below) We walked out with bags full of unique beads to make the jewelry you see today, and beautiful pendants that capture all the colors of the Murano buildings themselves to give you all a little taste of Italy! If you ever visit Venice, I highly recommend that you take the short trip to this island and. find the workshops themselves to watch this astounding process.
All of the artist's glass rods and pieces - the rods on the table are attached to their blue glass beads
Can't forget about the gelato :)
Another glass-maker in his workshop surrounded by his tools