Glass Jewelry: Fashion, Beauty and Elegance

No other accessories can match the evocative beauty of glass jewelry. Glass jewelry can be handcrafted from sea glass or manufactured using state of the art glass technology. Fashion experts are increasingly using glass as a standalone jewelry item or as an important part of their creations.

The most well known glass jewelry designs are created using Venetian river glasses. Not far behind in popularity are glass jewelry designs crafted from the exotic beach glasses of the Caribbean. Both have a rustic beauty in them reflecting the serenity and beauty of river lagoons and clear beaches.

If you want add color to your wardrobe, then wear a glass jewelry bead necklace. The glass beads can consist of various glass colors of different shapes and sizes. It will surely enhance your presence in any occasion.

If you want a more subdued and refined glass jewelry, then you can choose smaller white or semitransparent glass beads. Deep blue glasses are also perfect if you want a more laid back but elegant accessory.

Your choices of colors for glass jewelry are virtually limitless. Almost all hues of known colors can be used to complement your get up. Red and orange for a fiery presence while purple or green colors can be used for a more formal look.

You can also choose from different shapes of beads to make your glass jewelry. There are perfectly round beads that approximate the shapes of pearls. There are also heart-shaped glass beads to create a highly customized look for your glass jewelry.

Glass jewelries however are not exclusively used as necklaces. You can use glass beads for your earrings and bracelets. Some glass jewelry can crafted with gold frames or silver linings. In this way, the value of your glass jewelry can be enhanced. Gold frames are perfect for glass beads used for earrings. It can create an illusion of depth for your glass earrings thus making it more attractive.

Glass jewelry is a unique piece of adornment. It is a standard practice of high class jewelry makers not to make copies of a design. So when you buy glass jewelry, you can be assured that your piece was designed just for you. There are no other glass jewelry designs that will look exactly like yours. This adds to the allure of glass jewelry.

You have to use long beaded glass jewelry with large pendant if you want to highlight your neck. It is also advisable to use the bright color glass jewelries if you plan to wear dark clothes.

For a more modern look, you can wear a V-shaped dark blouse or a long-sleeved dark cotton sports shirt and adorn it with yellow or bright green small glass necklace. While these colors will not scream, the lively colors will balance your dark modern wardrobe.

On the other hand, if you opt for light color dresses for the ultimate summer and casual look, you must use dark colored glass jewelry. Deep blue or amber will be perfect for your casual ensemble. The white background will set your jewelry apart, making it more noticeable.

All About Murano Glass Jewelry

You must have worn at least one Murano Glass Bracelet in your life. The ultra cool smokey beads are perfect for every occasion. But do you know where the Murano glass comes from? Murano glass comes from a tiny, yet beautiful island in north of Venice, named Murano. The island is undisputed capital of the world famous Venetian glass, since ages. Murano bracelets, necklaces, artifacts, showpieces, flower pots etc. made out of this glass are extremely popular for their unique style and gorgeous colors.

Murano bracelets are probably the widest selling item of this glass. The beautiful shades, shapes and designs of designer glass bracelets have made the Murano style glass a favorite of women all around the world. But creating this type of jewelry is not easy. It takes years of experience and hard work to achieve dexterity in this profession. Making this glass is an art which makes every Murano glass bracelet or Murano glass pendant chain, a treasured piece of art. The glass maker has to know the exact composition of chemicals to get a particular shade in the glass. The structure of this glass is so delicate that even a slight change can spoil the entire beauty of the finish product.

For instance, in order to achieve the aquamarine shade, which is readily used to make designer articles, a well defined mixture of copper and cobalt is needed. This shade is widely used in creating a variety of Murano glass pieces. Many different shades and designs are created with the various combinations of compounds. No wonder the designer dlass bracelets are a favorite of designers all over the world.

Beads are very much in style these days and glass beaded bracelets are the most beautiful items made out of them. Even though, plastic, stone and other types of beads are also available in the market, the color, quality and beauty of Murano beads and the glass beaded bracelets made out of them are way ahead of all of them.
Even though, this glass is also being produced in many parts of the world now, but the best quality and authentic Murano glass and jewelry is still only available on the island of Murano. Glass makers still produce it with age old techniques and methods which have been passed on through generations of family designers. There is a huge amount of counterfeit designer glass bracelets in the market these days and buyers should make sure that they are not being cheated.

The authentic Murano glass is only produced on the Venetian island; and Murano style cubic zirconia, which are originated somewhere else, are fake. All good jewelry designers make it a point to import this gorgeous glass to create an authentic Murano glass article because they know that true Murano glass is not just a material for jewelry making, but is also a part of history and tradition.

As an interesting note, I received a sales flyer in the mail today from a major department store.  Amazingly, enough they have the same article we sell on our web site for sale.  Their regular price is $700.00, sale price is $279.00.  Ours - $44.00.  Pretty easy to figure out where the best deal for your money is.  Until next time. 

Murano? Unique? Why?

Glass is all around us and it has been for centuries. It is so commonly used that we literally see through it… so why pay so much for a piece of glass jewelry? Just because it is Made in Murano?

Exactly.....Because it is Made in Murano!

Heat a blob of glass until molten, hold it with tongs or pliers (“borselle”) and attach an iron blowpipe to it. Now, roll the hot ball of glass while at the same time you’re blowing through a blowing pipe (“canna da soffio”). Then heat the glass again and repeat the above steps in order to obtain a small wonder. That’s exactly how the magic of Murano glass begins.
Just as magic and nevertheless as extraordinary, glass is all around us. Found in many different colors and shapes, be it a vase, a bowl, a church’s stained glass (medieval glass) or a bead necklace; with gold or silver embedded in it or in vibrant colors… each and every glass object is absolutely unique.  Exclusively hand made by a glass artist, a craftsman or a Master Artisan, hand made glass objects and especially Murano glass items are unique.

Why?

Because at the other end of the blowpipe a human being is blowing life into the glass. And also for the very simple reason that human beings cannot make two identical objects, just similar ones.  This is the genuine appeal and magic of a blown glass item: one can have as many as one can afford to buy and they can be more or less beautiful, but no two of them will ever be the same if they are individually blown. And glass has been manufactured since the 3rd millennium BC in Egypt, where 1st century BC holds evidence of the first true blown glass in Syria.

Throughout the centuries blown glass has remained a luxury material and its art has flourished during the Roman world. The white silica sand from this area was the ideal raw material to be used in the production of Roman glass due to its low impurity levels. Starting with the 14th century, the island of Murano, off the shore of Venice, Italy, started to hold the monopoly in luxury glass creations: dinnerware, mirrors, jewelry, lighting products. It is here that throughout a laborious and demanding work of art experts craftsmen have been producing for many centuries blown glass objects of rare beauty; as finely labored as lace, as light as feathers, yet full of glorious colors. It is here that the Murano glass tradition as we know it today begun: paperweights, vases, chandeliers, mirrors, candy-glass ornaments, plates in different sizes and shapes, bottles of all sizes, tableware, small colored animals, figurines, calligraphy pens and of course jewelries! With regards to jewelry, one popular souvenir is la Murrina: a slim round pendant in colored glass with spiral or flower patterns that is hung on gold, silver or just a simple cotton necklace around your neck.

The art of glass blowing is first of all a family tradition in Italy, as a thorough understanding of the material and excellent glassblowing techniques are required to fully exploit the qualities of the glass. Technical knowledge and skills combined with passion and pride taken in a work well done are passed on through generations of glassblowers and are developed in conjunction with a sense of elegance and style, thoroughly appropriate to the material.

Some of the Murano manufacturers are world-known for the beauty of the shapes, the difficulty of their craft, and the constant quality of their product; think vintage Venini or Seguso. But even smaller manufacturers nowadays create outstanding products, and indeed sometimes they can afford more freely to experiment and try new combinations, both in design and in balancing the colors, still always conforming to the traditional manufacturing techniques.

Authentic Murano glass – especially the larger, more valuable pieces – comes accompanied by a guarantee, be it the artist’s signature or workshop’s trademark or a slip containing a certificate of authenticity. An original Murano item is heavy, its colors bright and its glass flawless. The lack of such a guarantee does not necessarily mean that one would be dealing with a fake or a copy.  But then, how can I tell the real thing, how can I be confident that I’m not being sold "fake" Murano glass? Our advice is to buy from respectable, specialized shops or at online businesses such as ours which provide certificates of authenticity.

And above all, do not be afraid to ask questions, whether it be to us or to the shop owner.  The best Murano glass dealers have an in-depth knowledge of their wares and will be all too happy to answer your questions and help you make the best choice possible.

Last but not least, remember that Murano is an investment, both cultural and financial!

Reasons To Buy Murano Glass Jewelry Online

Glass jewelry is a gem of its own. It exudes elegance and rustic beauty which could enhance your sense of self-confidence. You can also buy glass jewelry and give it to your loved ones to show your affection for them. Finding glass jewelry on the Internet is easy. Most search engines can provide you with a list of hundreds of online jewelry stores. You just have to choose which online glass jewelry shop sells the best products and offers good prices.

Online glass jewelry shopping offers many benefits. Here are the top ten reasons why you should buy glass jewelry from online stores.

1. Online glass jewelry stores offer convenience. You can browse numerous glass jewelry shops without leaving your home. All you will ever need is your computer and you’re set to shop online.

2. Buying online can provide you with wider choices compared to shopping at the malls. You can compare products and prices from hundreds of online glass jewelry shops. The existence of online auctions also adds variety for your online shopping experience. You can certainly make wiser decisions if lots of choices will be available for you.

3. Glass jewelry from the Internet is much cheaper than in regular jewelry shops. Because of stiff competition on the Internet, online businesses make it a point to provide competitive prices. The price of glass jewelry is also significantly lower in online auction sites. You can always find a good quality bargain if you buy jewelry online.

4. Internet buying offers different modes of payment. So you will not be limited cash transactions only. You can use your credit card or your debit card to purchase glass jewelry online. There are also sites that provide facilities for other electronic means of payment. All you need is an electronic banking account to buy your fancied glass jewelry.

5. You can also find lots of promotions from Internet shops. These are marketing strategies of online businesses which can reduce the price of your glass jewelry.

6. You can also take advantage of free shipping and deliveries offered by online jewelry stores. If you buy a certain amount of glass jewelry from online shops, they could extend to you their free delivery services.

7. Most online shops also offer money back guarantees. You can buy from their line of products but if you find them inferior, then you can return the items. Online shops have specific return policies and you should read them carefully.

8. Because most online jewelry shops are small businesses, you can get personalized service from them. You can send mail or call their numbers and a staff will attend to your needs.

9. There are online shops that offer handcrafted glass jewelries. These products are certainly more beautiful than the mass produced ones.

10. Finally, you can build a lasting business relationship with your favorite jewelry site. You can now get their preferred customer service extended only for regulars.

Buying glass jewelry from the Internet has many advantages. You can surely enjoy the convenience of online shopping and get the most beautiful glass jewelry for you and your loved one.

The Colorful World of Murano Glass Jewelry

As you may already know, Murano is a small island just north of Venice and it has been the undisputable capital of Venetian glass for ages. Glass production in Murano started in 1291 when the Venetian Republic forced all of the glassmakers to move their entire workshops and factories out of the city to this now-famous Island. Murano jewelry and glasswork has been renowned around the world for centuries for the styles, quality of work and of course all the gorgeous colors.

When Murano jewelry is created, it all starts with the manufacture of the colored glass canes. This is probably one of the hardest parts in making the jewelry because the chemical compounds involved in making the glass colored are extremely sensitive. One of the biggest challenges that glassmakers have when they are attempting to achieve a certain color is adding in the chemical compounds not only because they are so sensitive but also because they must be mixed with complete accuracy to achieve a certain shade.

For Murano jewelry to come out beautiful, it takes a master craftsman in order to get the colors correct. For example, in order to create the amazing color of aquamarine, you need to add in a fusion of cobalt and copper. This takes someone who knows exactly how to mix the chemicals for them to retain their properties in the heat of the glass-making process, and how much of each chemical to add into the glass. Once these colorful glass canes are created, they may be used for all sorts of Murano jewelry, lamps and even bead work.

Glass beadwork is something that is very fashionable right now. Not only is Murano jewelry some of the best-looking and unique beaded jewelry in the world, but it is also of the highest quality. In the world of glass collectors, designers, and admirers, Murano Island is a special and symbolic place. Glassmakers are still working there and some of the greatest glass beads, jewelry, artwork, and chandeliers are produced on this amazing island. While the island of Murano is not so easy to get to, the World Wide Web has made Murano jewelry more accessible. Searching the Internet is a fantastic option for those who want to find these amazing glasswork pieces, as there are websites offering various pieces of Murano jewelry for sale. However, one needs to be careful when buying Murano glass jewelry, because in recent years there have been many fake pieces and counterfeits from China and other countries offered for sale as “Murano Glass”. Every Murano glass buyer needs to know that Murano glass can only be produced on Murano Island within Venice, Italy. All other places of origin produce counterfeits.

When you purchase authentic Murano jewelry, you know that you are not only getting a piece of jewelry, you are actually getting a piece of history and art. This amazing art of glassmaking has been around for centuries and still today, Murano glassmakers are among the city’s most prominent citizens. Back in the olden days, many of the glassmakers that migrated to Murano Island held a lot of commercial and economical power simply because of all of the knowledge that they held in those days. Today, these incredible glassmakers are held in high respect for their work.

Murano jewelry is world-famous and has been exported all over the world for years. Whether you are looking for an unusual pendant, a pair of beautiful earrings, or any other stylish piece of jewelry, by buying Murano glass you create a unique and beautiful look that will impress everyone around you.

A Lttle Bit About Murano Glass Jewelry

by Patty J. Matherson

Jewelry is an incredibly subtle accent for any ensemble. What you choose to wear and how dramatically effect the way you see yourself and the way that others see you. A special piece of jewelry can either make or break your outfit. It can add the precise accent you need to compliment your attire. Your jewelry is timeless.

There is something about Murano Glass Jewelry that seems to transcend time, trends, and fashion. Something so simple. Much like jewels, and gold jewelry, Murano Glass accessories withstand the test of time.. and forever remain a quintessential element to every complete jewelry collection.

Traditionally, when one mentioned Murano glass, exquisitely crafted glassware such as chandeliers and wine goblets would come to mind. Now the same luminosity and sparkle that was found in the high-end artistry if it’s glassware, is found in the delicately crafted high-end jewelry.

Very few people are familiar with Murano glass jewelry. All these people are drawn to its sophistication and uniquely beautiful colors and design. Hence, every piece of such jewelry will surely make a fine addition to any jewelry or accessory collection.

Murano glass is actually made using raw materials such as sodium oxide, sodium, nitrate and arsenic, along with flux, or melting agents. It is blown and formed at low temperatures. The sodium oxide content of the glass mixture dictates the speed of solidification. The more sodium oxide, the slower the rate of solidification. In the crafting of glass, nitrates and arsenic may be added to the mixture to create an opaque surface free of bubbles.

The color and transparency of a Murano glass piece are commonly incorporated into pieces such as beads and pendants. Every unique design is handcrafted by a Murano glass blower. Consider the other details, such as enamel painting and engraving, and each piece comes to life.

The colors, technique of creation and design of each piece of this jewelry created from Murano glass redefines what delicate and exquisite in jewelry is. It simply recreates the awe-effect that diamonds normally posses. On the other hand, simpler yet chic designs of Murano glass necklaces, rings and bracelets also goes well with everyday wear. Hence, the look of these glass jewelries brings style versatility and wearability under its fine list of features.

Because Murano glass jewelry is reaching the height of its production, many designers and celebrities have clued in the distinct, exclusive designs in the Murano necklaces, rings, pendants and bracelets. Add a touch of elegance to your life with a unique piece of Murano glass jewelry.

About the Author:  Patty J. Matherson is a jewelry enthusiast with an expertise in Murano Glass Jewelry. 

Murano Jewelry At Affordable Prices