What began as a fascination with the glass of Murano has become a way of life. Our webstore has all you will need to make jewelry, quality findings, stringing materials, Swarovski Crystals and a lot more, but our main focus is the Venetian Glass Bead. We have been an integral part in promoting Venetian glass beads throughout the world as well as helping to breathe new life into traditional Venetian techniques. A few years ago, we introduced our line of Venetian Dichroics to the US through as a result of years of efforts with our beadmakers in Murano. We continue to bring new and innovative ideas to this age old industry. Most recently, we developed the Furnace Glass along with our partner furnace in Venice. It's a blend of old glass making techniques to work with new fashion ideas.
We remain a family owned business located in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, CA, USA where we have been importing Venetian Glass and Murano Glass commercially since 1993. Our wholesale showroom has the largest collection of Venetian Beads on display anywhere.
We all worry about security, so with the news this week, we want to share with you what we received from Geotrust who supplies our Security Certificate as well as from our Ecommerce Cart Provider and PayPal’s assessment. If you have questions, please contact us either through our online support or by phone: 1 800 439 3551 International 001 408 245 5900 (Mon-Fri 9a.m. to 5p.m. Pacific Time) PAYPAL – Does not use this software, therefore is not vulnerable. PayPal process ALL of our credit card transactions so your data is safe from this threat.
From GeoTrust:
GeoTrust is aware of the vulnerability, dubbed “Heartbleed”, which is a security concern for users of OpenSSL, a widely-used opensource cryptographic software library. It can allow attackers to read the memory of the systems using vulnerable versions of OpenSSL library (1.0.1 through 1.0.1f). This may disclose the secret keys of vulnerable servers, which allows attackers to decrypt and eavesdrop on SSL encrypted communications and impersonate service providers. In addition, other data in memory may be disclosed, which conceivably could include usernames and passwords of users or other data stored in server memory.To be clear, this is a vulnerability of the OpenSSL library, and not a flaw with SSL/TLS nor certificates issued by GeoTrust. At no time were GeoTrust’s SSL or Code-Signing roots and intermediates at risk, nor was there ever an issue with GeoTrust certificates. From 3dCart:
Merchants have expressed concern over recent media reports of a potential security risk found in OpenSSL called the “Heartbleed” flaw. (a.k.a CVE-2014-0160)
We at 3dcart would like our merchants to know that there is no danger to the security of your stores due to this open SSL flaw.
Cruise Season 2014 Opens in Venice with the arrival of the MSC Preziosa:
When cruise season ended in Venice last fall, the city was debating how many ships, what weight ships, and what routes they could take. Protesters dived into the waters to attempt to halt the boats and police were scooping them up and off to jail.
The pictures of the Monster Cruise Ship, the Carnival Sunshine, in a near miss with a vaporetto brought more tension. There are 2 sides to this story, and the photographer was accused of faking the picture. This ship belonged to the same company as the Costa Concordia, whose tragic collision along the cost of the island of Giglio in Jan 2012 is still in the mind of the Venetians.
However, it did highlight the possibility of accidents which could destroy the historic buildings and the city built on mud and pilings of old trees, now petrified.
There is no science which understand the precise effect these ships have on a daily basis, not to mention should one of them hit the foundations along San Marco. Since these foundations began in the 900s, no one knows their exact strength or the point at which they are overstressed.
Over the winter, debates were held in Venice and in Rome to attempt to sort out the issues. The “Merchants of Venice” are on one side wanting even more cruise ships, more tourist who arrive by train, plane and bus. The municipality and the owners of the Maritime facility see only the money lining their coffers and a fair amount in their own pockets.
What do you think Rome’s opinion would be if we were discussing damage to the Colosseum by a tourist mega bus weighing a hundred thousand tonnes and measuring one thousand feet?
Even my Venetian friends and I are divided on this subject. As I think there is no reason for any risk whatsoever to the city just so 3,000 people get the “view of a lifetime”. You can get the same view from the top of many hotels in Venice without arriving on a behemoth. Or by climbing the tower in San Marco, or on the double decker vaporetto from San Marco to Lido and at the same time rub elbows with a few locals.
So the highly anticipated beginning of cruise season got underway this week with the arrival of the MSC Preziosa. The ship weighs 139,400 Tonnes, is 1,093 Feet Long with a crew of 1,388 and a passenger capacity of ,3,502. This monster ship travels at 24 Knots.
So what do you think happened on the “opening” day when the first ship arrived in Venice?
Despite having two (2) tugboats and one (1) pilot onboard, it plowed all 139,400 Tonnes right into the dock.
Embarrassing?
Especially after the assurances by the “committee” and local politicians that such an accident could never happen if they docked at San Marco.
No Two Alike When we say “No two ever exactly alike”, here’s why.
This is a typical selection of assorted slices of Millefiori. While it is possible to buy only one type of cane, most of our Millefiori beads have a random selection of these.
Our beadmakers buy presliced canes (for the most part) from Effetre, the factory in Murano which produces the COE104 Glass Canes used to produce our beads.
In the picture below you see the classic Millefiori Pendant which is made by placing a single layer of these slices in a form where they are fused. After fusing, they are polished and inset into Silver or Vermeil Bails. This is a very popular item found all over Venice, and on our website as well.
SOLD BY THE KILO: To make the bags of slices, they take canes in stock and chop them into the little slices. So you may have 100+ pounds of slices. They are chopped and dumped into wheelbarrows and measured our in bags by the kilo. So when our bead makers go they just buy a in small quantities the millefiori slices. Lampworkers use the slices of Millefiori for the eyes in their animals.
PEEK AT THE FACTORY WAREHOUSE: On the right is a scene from inside the Effetre Factory Warehouse. This warehouse is closed to the public, to the trade and to almost everyone. Sometimes we get to sneak in with a bead maker. SORTED FOR FUSING: The vases on the left came from a single cane and we used these in fusing or making many of the “Lace” beads where each one has the same slices.
To make some of our cross pendants, we have to wait for the millefiori to be available in all the sizes we need as we use graduated sizes of the same “Margherita” cane.
Depending on when you buy the bags, it has slices from the canes they have in stock. There is no set recipe of 2 of this, or 4 of that. It is just what canes are in stock and depends on the whim of the worker slicing the beads. It also depends on the schedule of production of canes, so some may be made only once a year. Or certainly not until they have sold all in stock and have orders for the 250-300 Chili that are produced in a run.
KLIMT – USES THE BROKEN One of our most popular collections of Murano Glass Beads doesn’t use the whole pieces, this design is made from the fragments. Imagine how happy Effetre is that even the broken bits of glass can be sold.
So as you can see, we can never tell you which ones will be in a bead or batch. It’s part of the fun!
To watch our beadmaker use the canes in making our beads, view our youtube video Google
Osteria Senza Oste but complete with Domatore It begins in a small village in the Prosecco district of the Veneto (about 50km from Venice) situated in the very heart of the grape vines which produce the acclaimed Prosecco of Valdobbiadene. Amidst the valleys and hills lined with rows of the grape on a small dirt and gravel path is the incredible “Osteria Senza Oste“.
An osteria is a bar which serves simple food and local wines. It is one of the oldest types of eatery in Italy, with an Osteria in Bologna which dates back to the 14th Century. In earlier days, the Osteria often offered only wine with the guest bringing their own food. Today, they serve local specialties, in a simple but very warm atmosphere and there are several very good ones right inside Venice. A Well-Beaten Path This rustic Osteria happens to be in the shadow of one of our favorite wineries and we had seen it on previous visits, we had never visited. But last fall on a whim we took off the dirt trail to this inviting terrace high on the hills overlooking the Cartizze vineyards. The building of stacked stones is in the classic farm house of the region with a shelter for the animals attached to the house, where they were kept during the winter.
Got Milk? As we got nearer, a cow along with her baby calf were in a stall and a donkey in another stall, both lined with beautiful straw and hay.
Against the opposite stone wall, an abundant supply of neatly stacked, freshly cut firewood awaited.
Inside the rustic house, it’s sparse yet inviting with small baskets of salami. There are bottles of local wines. On another table, free tourist information is available with brochures suggesting places of interest nearby. There is even a piggy bank to put your money. All on the honor system.
The door stood open and a warm fire crackled inside the simple house. A old, large and obviously well used kitchen table, with the customary oil table cloth, was at the center of the room with small cabinets on the side. A ladder led to the upstairs loft, which really looked inviting. Cards from Around the World On the wall was thousands of business cards, post cards and notes. Completely entranced, I fumbled through my purse and placed the VenetianBeadShop.com card alongside those from all around the world.
Complete with Dormatori dei Leoni Then I spotted the gentleman sitting in his wheelchair and greeted him. In this region, they speak the Fruili version of Veneziana so my friends from Venice were not sure I could communicate. But he spoke Italian with a slightly German accent. When he discovered we were from the San Francisco area, he immediately began with his story. He has a son who lives in San Francisco, a doctor whom he has not seen for years. (This proves the world is a small place). He has a tragic story as he is a diabetic with many problems, including recent surgery and the loss of his wife and children. But he is very proud of his career with the circus. Yes the circus as a “domatore di leoni” (lion tamer), a couple of missing fingers left no doubt as to his profession. He had traveled extensively with a number of circus troops in the US, all over Europe and beyond. He entertained us with stories about his life and the circus. The stories were entrancing and a small view into a different world. He is not the owner of this quaint spot, he just spends his time at the cottage to meet people and to pass the time as he is retired. He lives in another small village a mile or so away with a population of under 100.
Innocent Place OR Tax Evader? It seemed such an idyllic place, you could sit at the table, take a glass of wine, eat a slice of prosciutto or local salami, leave your money in the piggy bank. Stay as long as you like, talk to the other people who wandered along the path. Sit on the terrace and look across the peaceful valley. People spoke to each other, how lovely, a cafe where everyone seemed to be free to enjoy, I think you’ll agree, the scenery is magnificent. It’s popularity spread only by word of mouth. It seems from another era. We all commented on how this kind of place could only exist in Italy.
Does this look like a Menu? Well then the Italian Guardia di Finance, of Montebelluno decided to assert their power. This proves the old saying that “no good dead goes unpunished”. The Osteria, received a notice from the local government to close. It seems that whether or not you are in business to make money, you must have a proper permit and pay taxes. Though I seriously doubt they ever made any profit, with the average suggested price of .5 Euro – it will take lots of eggs to make a living. However, the evidence as shown here of the little cards with suggested prices, is enough for the tax police. Il Gazzettino & Nuova Venezia The local papers published this insanity and a chorus of protest from all over Italy, and the world began pouring in. And a few hours later the new facebook site called “L’osteria Senz’oste Non Deve Chiudere“_or basically “You can’t close the Osteria” was alive and had over 4,000 friends in the first 24 hours, naturally we were among those who think it is shameful to close an establishment who makes no money, survives on the generosity of humans who can either give a donation or not and no one is there to collect the money.
But clearly, there must be several rules broken here and the bureaucracy must prevail….NO
You can read (google can translate) all the article, and comments at the following webpages. And please join the facebook plea for leniency for this place: Click Here to Visit FaceBook Page
Below are more pictures of the Osteria. If you plan a visit in this area. Email us and we’ll give you the directions. However, much like Venice, it’s just plain fun to be lost and see where you end up – there are some things to be said for not having a gps and always knowing exactly where you are. The countryside is incredibly beautiful, lined with row upon row of grapes. It is along the Strada del Prosecco and right in the heart of the World War I sites, so plenty for a history buff as well. Close Up of the Rustic Cottage. Another spectacular view from the Osteria. Google
When our customers see our fabulous Murano Glass Beads, they always think about a shape that works for them. So one of the questions we get often is. Does it come in…..?
Well that Depends…
We have to stop and think because our bead makers don’t have a catalog with a finite list of what is made. Everything is made to order after we sit down with them and go over what we want, what worked on our last shipment and what we need to improve and we determine they have the tools and right glass to make the beads.And we write it down, we take pictures, we cross our fingers.
For anyone who tells you they go to Venice and handpick their beads, they are choosing from a selection of left-overs which either didn’t make it into the jewelry sold in Venice or was left over from a large buyer like us. It doesn’t make sense to store beads, it is easier to store canes and make the beads when you need them.
The Short Answer:
So for us the short answer is: It comes in anything we want to make.
Granted there are some things we make better than others. And to make it may involve having new tooling made by an old master. And there is the question of how many you want? It is not practical to develop a new tool for a few beads – unless it just is a really good idea.
Believe me 3d printing would be a blessing for us, it just hasn’t arrived in Murano yet (or maybe ever?). We purchase the tools for our beads in many cases, having them made in the old machine shops in Murano. They may not have the latest equipment, but they understand glass blowing and bead making.
Sample Cards:
What we all have are “sample” cards like the one on the right with lots of markups and additions. It’s not our invention, these date back as early as the Venetians began trading beads.
We have our book of Moretti Colors and we hope that the next batch turns out to be the same color. We study the canes and beads in the sunlight to be sure we have the right shade.
Some colors are always good. Red, well not so often. There is something totally unreliable about red. When it is really red, it is fabulous and it sparkles in the flame. But then without warning the next batch will turn dark as garnet.
We have shapes – they come from the tools lining the wall, so if we have the tool with a particular beadmaker, then the question is only decoration.
Decorations:
There are of course the standard beads, 24kt Gold Foil Beads, .925 Sterling Silver Foil, White Gold Foil, Sommerso, Nuvola, Millefiori but even with these you must be sure you specify the correct Effetre color – or hope the bead maker know what color you last bought.
Bead Card Collections
Collectors of old beads all have these tattered and stained cards in their prized possession and they sell for very large sums among these collectors. Below is a card from a family in Venice dating back to the 18th Century.
Before the Internet?
How about before the telephone, the fax, when Murano gained a foothold in Africa. The great grandson of one of the early “African Trade Bead” business tells us the story of how this entrepreneur would receive a letter in Murano which had been traveling for 3 months having left Africa on a steamer.
Slow Boat to?
It would be a request for information. He would in turn send our several bead cards, again taking ~3 months to arrive and he would wait for a reply. Months later the written order would arrive and hopefully with the payment because international banking was still in its infancy. So an average order took 9 months to 1 year even to get on the books. There certainly were no “Returns” and a great deal of trust on both sides.
The development of the phone, fax and inter-bank transfers were a boon to this small, cottage industry.
To the right are a group of these antique Bead Cards when they were on display at Abate Zanetti in Murano.
So our Final Answer
Yes, it does come in that, how many do you want? Google
Masks played an important role in the history of La Serenissima, the Republic of Venice and are synonymous with the Carnevale (Carnival) Festival whose roots are both religious and secular. A very orderly society, the ruling body of Venice, The Great Council had written rules on when the citizens could wear masks as early as 1339 a.d.
Masks were allowed by the Venetian Republic to be worn (1) between Santo Stefano (26 December) and Shrove Tuesday marking the beginning of Lent, (2) again on Ascension Day and (3) for the period of 5 October until Christmas.
With this number of days when one could wear a masks, the makers of the masks became important and were given their own guild in 1436 a.d.
The masks were essential in the politics of La Serenissima, for hidden behind the masks, everyone was allowed a voice, not only to voice their political points, but often to tattle on their neighbors or enemies or used to spy. Behind the masks, servants and ordinary citizens could speak their mind without fear. You might say that the masks were the original vehicle for free speech, not written into law, yet protected by the anonymous.
In the 13th Century, the Great Council made it a crime to throw eggs. Persons wearing masks were forbidden to gamble or to wear false beards. In later centuries, Women were required to wear masks at the theatre. These we known as Dama and had only holes for eyes, presumably to keep the ladies from speaking (or eating and drinking) and guaranteed complete anonymity. Worn with a scarf, it is impossible to recognize a person. Earlier, they had little straps which the lady used her teeth to hold, so for sure she wasn’t talking.
The tradition of Carnevale and the masks was lost when Venice surrendered to Napoleon and the Treaty of Campo Formio was signed in 1797. The 60 years of Austrian domination began in 1798 when Venice was handed over to the Austrians. The years that followed must have seemed dreary and unimaginative to the Venetians right up through World War I and World War II. It was not until the early 1980s when students began making masks that the tradition revived. A rebirth of a 500 year old tradition which today counts for untold millions of Euro each year in sales and for sure outdoes any costumes and masks from the early days.
Today at Carnevale you can see an unlimited variety of masks, including Gold Filigree, Leather, and Metals in addition to the classic Paper Mache. They are decorated with laces, sequins, feathers and gold or silver. There are several masks that you see repeatedly during Carnevale and for sale in all stores and whether inexpensive, made in China or hand made in the small alleyways of Venice, they are steeped in the local history.
The Bauta is probably the most common mask. It is one piece with lots of space for a large nose and to allow the wearer to eat and drink, an important consideration, without removing it and revealing your identiy. Not a good idea if you were voicing opposing view than the Great Council, or Council of Ten as the Venetians called it. It was worn by both women and men and generally with a long back cape called a “Taborro” and a 3 sided hat called a “Tricorn”.
Today the masks are ever evolving, more creative, more decorative as materials are more readily found. Imagine the limited items available in the 1500s to produce a mask. A mask maker’s laboratory is floor to ceiling lace, sequins, gold ribbons and the ever present glue gun and rivet machine.
Popular in recent years is the Vivaldi Mask which pays tribute to the city’s great Musician.And you will find these around Venice, here you see a completed mask as well as all the pieces needed to make the Vivaldi masks. Each mask must have each of these pieces placed on the mask by hand. Making masks Venetian Style is all handwork, there are no machines which can do the delicate painting, put the feathers just right or cut the holes for the eyes so they have expression.
Once the Carnival committee announces the theme for the festival, there is a mad rush to design appropriate masks. The ideas stem from artist concepts and each year there are new designs.
The production of the mask begins with the creation of a mould and a very absorbent, rather stiff paper. Once it is dry, the edges must be trimmed and the eyes cut. Then layers of paint are applied and finally the decorations. The entire process takes about 2-3 days and smells of glue and paint.
Everyone has heard of the famous books on murder mysteries in Venice, “Death in Venice” and “Vaporetto 13” or the many books by Edward Sklepowich. Donna Leon has made Commissario Brunetti famous in her murder mysteries with Venice as the backdrop. But in keeping with the “life is stranger than fiction” a recent episode or “giallo” in Venice is too strange not to write about it.
TAXI?
It all began with a discovery driver of a water taxi in the small canal where he docks his boat on the island of Lido. He saw something bobbling in the water and upon closer look it was a body. The police arrived and along with the firemen and pulled out the body of a young woman, completely nude – except for a necklace. (This is not a clue.)
This was at 1:30 am on Monday. It was immediately determined that (1) she had not thrown herself into the canal and (2) that she had not died from drowning and (3) that she was not a local, and not a tourist in a local hotel.
So began what was a mystery and one of the fastest solved crimes in the history of Venice. It was a poorly disguised murder.
MISSING PERSON: The first clue came when a woman was reported missing in Milano, had been seen on Saturday there and was reported missing by her roommates, a couple from India. Ah!
But how did she get to Venice as by now we know several important factors. (1) The corner declares she has been dead for about 48 hours, which puts the time of death on Saturday. (2) She was reported missing on Sunday. (3) She had been in the canal for only a couple of hours. (4) She did not come to Venice on her on.
We all know there are cameras everywhere, train stations, bus stations, vaporetto stops. So this starts to narrow down things a bit.
The police in Milano visit the roommates to get more information. Their story changes, she had been drinking, there was a fight, first one and then the other one took responsibility.
Then the security cameras gave a clue – there on the video was the couple getting off the vaporetto on the island of Lido with a very large suitcase. Then about 2.5 hours later, they were seen boarding the vaporetto returning from Lido to Venice, but without the suitcase.
So by the following weekend, the two were in jail and a complete details of this murder were known. Probably one of the fastest crimes solved in the history of Italy.
The young lady is a native of Iran. She was a student at an art academy in Milano, was sharing an apartment with the couple, a tiny studio. When the tight quarters and lack of privacy had become unbearable to the lady, she decided to move out and asked for her deposit back. An argument ensued and she was killed.
That’s Saturday! They discussed how to dispose of her body and removed her clothing, though why they did not remove the necklace is yet to be answered.
PLANNING A TRIP:
They bought a suitcase and folded her into the suitcase.
Now it is Sunday. They went to Milano Centrale, the main station in Milano with intentions to dump her into the lake at Lake Como. But….when they arrived there were “too many people”.
ALL ABOARD:
They again boarded the train with the lady in the suitcase, this time back to Milano and had another thought because they still needed to dispose of the body. They bought a ticket for Venice. What’s more natural than a couple headed to Venice with their luggage.
(The irony of this is that if they had left the suitcase unattended for 5 minutes in Milano, someone would have stolen it and their problem would have been solved!)
A RIDE ALONG THE GRAND CANAL:
Why Venice? The young man had worked for a short time as a waiter on Lido and presumably felt there were fewer people, which is true in off-season. They arrived at Santa Lucia station in Venice and took the vaporetto with the suitcase, presumably the #1 along the romantic Grand Canal a trip which takes about 40-50 minutes, where they are seen by the video cameras arriving with the suitcase on Lido.
So they have now taken the body by train in a large suitcase from Milano to Lake Como, back to Milano(about 1 hour each way) and then to Venice (which is about 3-4 hours by train). They hastily disposed of the body in a shallow canal not too far from the vaporetto stop and to their misfortune, very close to the water taxi stand.
What did they do then – stroll around Lido? Well eventually they took the vaporetto back to the train station. However, it was late, about 2ish in the morning and there were no more trains to Milano that night (Actually the body was discovered about the time they reached the train station.) Security cameras have captured their departure in the taxi.
They walked to Piazzale Roma and they hired a taxi driver (car) to take them back to Milano. The cost: 650 Euro or roughly $900 US. Do you think the taxi driver remembered them (3-4 hours in the car on the A-4)? He was probably still boasting to all his buddies about this exorbitant taxi ride when the police found him to question him.
A WELL-PLANNED ESCAPE:
The police discovered their necessity to return to Milano at such haste and expense. They had thousands of Euro hidden in their apartment. And they had also booked tickets back to their homeland for Tuesday with a flight out of Milano. And by now I think they had to buy another suitcase!
BEWARE LARGE SUITCASES:
I do not think I will ever look at a large suitcase on the vaporett or train in quite the same light.Google
Traveling can be frustrating especially in foreign cities where you may have trouble with the language. We found several apps that our local friends have to make our lives easier in Venice, knowing when the next vaporetto arrives and in traveling by train to other parts of Italy. But before you go, there are some other apps to help you. Remember to download the apps (or update) before you go, so you won’t be wasting your minutes. The ones listed below are all free.
Venice is a bit like a maze in the daytime, at night, well it is like a maze but you are blindfolded! We recommend taking some time to get an overview of the area, being sure to have written the phone number of your hotel, the address and the closest vaporetto stop. Here are some apps that will make you look like a local.
I am sure there’s a job for us giving out directions in Venice if our bead business ever bores us!
Choose your airline seat wisely. Today you can find so much information on line, SeatGuru will give you the layout of the plane and help you choose a seat so you can sleep.
Today it’s impossible (or so it seems) for us to be unattached to an internet for any period of time. Make the best of the free WiFi in any city with this handy app. The beauty of this app is that it doesn’t require you to be online to use it. Remember to download the latest data to your phone or other device before you leave home. However remember to be careful logging onto a free WiFi.
Getting around Venice. You wouldn’t be the first tourist to find the boats going back and forth to be a bit confusing. We all know the boats we take daily, but to go to a spot we don’t go often, this is the app that we use. It will give you the next departure time and intermediate stops.
Finally, the app that lets you know what shoes to wear! If you see black walking shoes, then you are in the clear and there will be no high water (acqua alta). This app was developed with the collaboration of the Instituzione Centro Previsione e Segnalazione Maree of Venice (ICPSM) and gives you the forecast for the following 2 days.
As the streets of Venice are at different heights above (or below) sea level, you have the choice of looking at a number of locations. San Marco Square is among the lowest and will begin flooding very quickly. Venice has 2 tides each day, so if you are going to be out several hours, you will need to look at the forecast for the day.
Download these apps from for your device:
SeatGuru, WiFi Finder, iVenice, hi!tide Venice Google
Visiting Venice at Carnival is a dress maker’s heaven. Of course there are the cute and whimsical costumes similar to those we see at Halloween in the US. You will see costumes of every genre in Venice. And each year there is a theme, but the classics are always in demand.
For the true Carnevale participant, the costumes are works of art, comprised of.yards of expensive brocade fabric, lace, sequins, velvet and jewels. The end result is a parade of beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen parading through San Marco Square and taking or taking a trip in a Gondola along the famed Grand Canal. So if you haven’t been sewing for months, you can still rent one of the elaborate costumes for upwards of 300 Euro a day, not a small sum, but considering the cost in materials and labor often is over 2,000 Euro, it’s not surprising.
We thought we’d visit a Costume Designer and give you a backroom view of what goes on. It is cluttered, piled top to bottom with fabrics, sequins, lace and projects underway. There are mannequins with costumes in various stages of completion.
Because the Venetian Carnevale is classic 17th and 18th Century, the first step is pouring over old books for authentic designs. And then wouldn’t you know that it begins with a sketch?
If they are made for a specific person, there are fittings. If they are made as rentals, there are special made with special sections to expand or make them smaller.
There are period parties held through the city in the grand palaces. Not only must you have the correct dress, but even the wigs must be exacting to the period.
The costumes are much like theatrical production costumes for the opera, such as La Fenice in Venice or La Scala in Milano. No detail is too small. Even the shoes in this costume repeat the same fabric as the dress (top picture).
Here are a couple more in a series of the costumes they were making on our visit. And certainly the mask must match the costume. Here come the glue gun and the feathers and of course, sparkles.
Watching this evolution of the fabric to the royal costume is like watching Cinderella’s tattered clothes turn into a ballgown and her pumpkin into a carriage. It has all the magic of a fairy tale.
Maybe that’s why everyone loves the Carnival in Venice!
Here we have the finished costumes for the royal couple, ready to parade through the square in San Marco (well maybe he needs shoes!) Google
One of the most common questions we get from our customers is advice on how they can keep their silver or plated components in premium condition. Once you have made the investment silver to put in your latest designs, it is important to make sure you are taking the proper precautions to store it properly and keep their natural brilliance in tact. First, what causes sterling silver to tarnish? The cause of tarnishing or discoloration of sterling silver is the reaction between the alloy portion of the sterling silver with tarnish causing chemicals or gases. These tarnish causing chemicals can be anything from lotions to perfumes to sweat, which, when in contact with your unprotected silver, will eventually cause it to tarnish. As for the gases, particularly of note are hydrogen sulfide and sulphur dioxide, both which occur and exist in abundant amounts from either natural or man-made sources.
What can I do to protect my investment?
Follow these simple steps to make sure your findings or finished jewelry has its best chance.
Always keep your findings stored away in bags or a box with anti-tarnish strips or in a jewelry saver bag. One strip per bag or small box should be more than enough. If you have an ongoing project, try to at least cover your project with a cloth and keep and anti-tarnish strip along side.
Always wash your hands before handling your findings, this reduces the chance that you will introduce something that wasn’t there before.
For finished pieces, apply your lotions, perfumes and cosmetics before putting on your jewelry. Also inform your customers to do the same either when they purchase or include information on jewelry care with your product.
Use a silver cloth to give your pieces a good wipe, especially after you have had a show where others may have tried or held your jewelry.
Many of our sterling silver beads and findings are now coming with an anti-tarnish finish or fine silver plating or both which can help to protect findings and finished pieces. Unfortunately these are not always enough to protect from some environmental factors or severe neglect. As mentioned above, we do offer anti-tarnish strips from 3M at a great price and you can buy as many or as few as you want and they are good for about 6 months of use. Check here for pricing. These are great little protectors that can easily be put into a bag or a jar along with your findings and will provide a nice level of protection. Be on the lookout for some new items from us this year in findings that will help you design tarnish free jewelry. Google
