Murano Glass - An Ancient Art Form Still Popular Today

There are reasons why Murano glass is so versatile. The first is the number of different styles available. They range from the floral patterned Millefiori (or thousand flowers) glass to abstract Ghiaccio (or ice) glass. Some styles of glass also use metal fragments such as gold, silver, or even copper to give the pieces a sparkly accent that is incredibly popular in today's market.

Although Venice was the original home of glassblowing in Italy, it was moved to Murano in 1291 and glassblowers have been converging on the area to learn the tricks and techniques that produce high quality items on such a consistent basis. Glass jewelry is only one of the items which are made there. Venetian glass from Murano is also made into many household items such as paperweights, dishes, stemware and other ornamental items.

If you want to order a piece of glass jewelry, you should think about the style of glass you like and the colors you want to incorporate. Some of the basic types of glass include: Avventurina, which uses particles of metal in order to make it shimmer; Chalcedony, which uses veins of color running through a dark colored glass to make it look like stone; Millefiori, which is made of flower-shaped canes of glass sliced into portions which make up the pattern on the glass and Filigrana which uses thin glass canes that run throughout the piece of glass.

You should also think about the color of the piece you want. The good thing about glass jewelry made from Murano glass is that it is available in a wide range of colors. You can find pieces that use neutral colors for a more understated look and pieces which use Murano signature rich coloring to make a bolder fashion statement.

You can find jewelry which incorporates large pieces of glass as well as smaller beads. Depending on the look you want, you may be interested in pieces which use a combination of different sizes and shapes of beads. You should also remember that since each piece of glass is handmade, there will be variations and it is almost impossible to get two pieces which look exactly alike.

Caring for your glass pieces is not difficult, but you do want to take good care of them. When well cared for, these pieces will serve you for many years and retain their colors, sparkle, shine and beauty. With necklaces and pendants, you want to periodically check the chain or cord and especially the closure parts, to make sure they are in good condition. This is important to prevent the situations in which your glass pendant or necklace will fall and break. Periodically wipe your glass necklaces, pendants, earrings, rings, and other Murano glass wares with a soft velvet cloth to ensure that they continues to reflect light in an optimal way. You can wash them in warm water with mild soaps to return them to their original sparkle. Never use any chemical cleaners to wash your Murano jewelry.

With Murano rings and bracelets, you need to be careful not to break them while doing manual work. Although your pieces are strong and durable, as with any jewelry, if you plan on gardening, washing dishes, cleaning, or doing other similar work, remove your glass rings and bracelets to avoid getting them soiled, or, even worse, cracked. Unfortunately, Murano glass jewelry cannot be repaired once it is broken, so it is important to take good care of it in order to make it last a long time.