Rubino: Gold in the Glass, Uncertainty in the Supply
The beautiful pink and ruby tones of gold-based Rubino glass depend on gold as an ingredient in the glass itself. This is different from the decorative gold foil used inside many of our beads: here, gold helps create the color.
Effetre has communicated with customers by email regarding Rubino. In our efforts to obtain this glass, they will not quote a price—even when we offer to purchase an entire batch. For us and the bead makers we work with, that makes planning future production especially difficult.
Without a confirmed price and an obtainable supply of glass rods, we cannot calculate the cost of new beads or promise when a favorite Rubino design will return. The cost of gold adds another layer of uncertainty to a color that already requires specialized glassmaking knowledge.
Finished beads and glass rods from earlier batches may still be available, but those remaining supplies do not guarantee that we can replenish them. If Rubino is an essential part of your design, we recommend purchasing enough of the available beads to complete your project together.
Cadmium and Our Opaque Whites and Pinks
The color shortages also affect some of our opaque white and pink glasses. Cadmium is an essential ingredient in the traditional formulas for these many of our opaque glasses as we use it as a base over which we apply transparents and decorations.
European rules place strict controls on occupational exposure to cadmium and its compounds. These requirements affect the conditions under which manufacturers handle those ingredients during production. They do not amount to a blanket ban on every opaque glass color.
For our bead makers, the difficulty begins with obtaining the glass rods they need. When a familiar opaque white or pink is unavailable, it can affect an entire design—from the white base beneath a floral heart to the soft pink petals decorating a bead.
Changing a traditional glass formula is more complicated than mixing a new shade of paint. A replacement must produce the desired appearance and work successfully with the other glasses used in the bead. Even when an alternative becomes available, we cannot assume it will match earlier batches exactly.
Together with the uncertainty surrounding gold-based Rubino, these shortages limit which beads our artisans can make and which colors we can restock.
We continue working directly with our Venetian and Murano bead makers to find available materials and beautiful alternatives. We know these colors are special to our customers—they are special to us, too.