We published this article a few years ago, but it is still valid. I was prompted to update it when a reader on our FaceBook Page commented on a picture of beads and saying “wow so expensive, i find these places …. i go to garage sales, and regular stores and can get some amazing glass beads for way less than half the price”
Another facebook reader said “regardez le travail des vrais perliers vous verrez tout de suite la difference !!” Look the work of real beads you can see immediately the difference. (Translation)
Having worked for over 2 decades with our beadmakers and glass blowers in Venice and Murano and having invested millions in the development of our bead store, our designs and our wonderful bead makers, I am a bit offended by the comments.
I do, however, agree with our French friend. When you see our beads, alongside the Chinese or Indian you will see the brilliance of the Murano Glass immediately distinguishes it. It all starts with the canes, produced in Murano by hand in the traditions of hundreds of years. Often imitated, but never quite the same.
So once again – Why Buy Venetian?
New designers are searching for their niche. Sometimes they fall in love with Swarovski, but it is everywhere and hard to make a name for yourself with such a ubiquitous commodity; and in the words of Brenda “an accent” bead! Though we do admit they compliment our Murano Glass.
They are made by machine, cut by machine and their very sameness is their appeal. Our beads however are NEVER the same! So much depends on the canes, the fire, the humidity, indeed the mental attitude of our bead makers. And when you order 2 beads, we handpick to match those two beads for you!
And let’s face it no one ever advertised that they have “Chinese Beads” and even Czech while again available everywhere, simply doesn’t carry the allure or romance of Venetian Beads. Tthough they were not the first in the world to make beads, the Venetians have certainly influenced the design and production of beads since about the 10th Century. It is also fascinating that women have always been a dominate force in Venetian Beads. While they were not welcomed into the furnaces the lamp workers have always included talented and very business savy women of both Venice and Murano.
Let’s remember that Marco Polo traveled to China taking beads! Remember that Manhattan was purchased with beads! Venetian Beads were the currency in Africa, known as Trade Beads. And we still make them pretty much the same way as then. Now that’s something to talk about with your customers or to tell your friends when you they ask you about the jewelry you are wearing.
Having Venetian Beads in your design gives you a story to tell. When you are at that hot and dusty Craft Fair, the sparkle under the sunlight will bring your customers in and your ability to weave the history of Venice will help you sell your jewelry. It sets you apart as a jewelry maker who appreciates the quality and the history. Wear it to the country club or your daughter’s softball game. It’s a fit everywhere.
We try to give you a little of the story behind the beads, behind our sterling silver and the trials and tribulations of daily life in Venice. Use the resources on our website to learn more about Venice and you’ll be able to talk to your customers, or just tell your friends why you chose Venetian Beads. No two beads are ever exactly alike, each is a small work of art born in the flames.
And if you ask me, I will just say I never was interested in any beads other than Venetian. I fell in love with the glass and working with the bead makers is a way for me to be a small part of the story of Murano Glass.
Here are some resources on our website that can help you understand our beads:
This is a question we get often, especially from new beaders who have just been their first bead show. Are all Venetian Beads are annealed. She had heard that annealing makes the beads stronger. What is annealing?
The word comes from the metallurgy and materials science where it has long been recognized it increases the metals ductility and makes it more workable to heat above its critical temperature and then to cool which also relieves the internal stress of the metal. In glass, it is about mainting the glass at a constant temperature, known as soaking at the annealing point where the glass is too cold to continue working, but will continue to relax, so that the entire piece can gradually cool at the same rate. If the glass were left in the open, you can easily see that the outside would cool faster than the inside. Annealing keeps the temperature constant throughout the bead.
Above is a large muffola in a production furnace. Each piece of blown glass is placed in an oven which is temperature controlled to be sure all the glass is the same temperature and then to cool the mouth blown pieces slowly. In older days before temperature control and when they still used wood for the heating, the person who was in charge of this was called “uomo di notte” and his job was to stay all night and watch the process as well as prepare the glass for the next days work.
For centuries, the Venetians have annealed by:
1) flash annealed, where the bead is put back into the flame one final time to heat the bead to a consistent temperature and
2) slowly cooled the bead in a container of silica which helps hold the temperature. In older days, the Venetians used the sand from the lagoon which is called “fango” in Italian and was also used for the “bead release”. Today the world uses vermiculite for this process. Vermiculite is a mineral similar to mica which is fire proof.
Flash Annealing
The stresses set up in the bead have a lot to do with the amount of time it takes to make the bead, the decorations, etc and frankly the skill level of the bead maker. In our small beads, they are made rather quickly and there is very little value of annealing other than by use of the vermiculite. You can see the beads still on the mandrels and they are submerged into the vermiculite during the production day.
For our larger, obviously more complex beads we do use an annealing oven – called a muffola in Italian. For our Moretti glass, the annealing temperature is about 940F and it is important to keep them at this level and then bring down gradually. For our blown beads they are all annealed, here you see the small kiln beside the furnace.
Annealing Blown Beads
Annealing does not make the bead stronger, it insures that there are no stresses set up in the bead during the cooling cycle. Tempering makes the glass stronger – which is the process used for car windows, shatter-proof glass, etc. Below is a type of annealing oven, a kiln produced in the US specifically for beads, note that it has a place for individual beads. (We do not use one like this as we make many more beads than this would accommodate.)
Regardless of how beads are annealed, each of our beads are annealed, most in the classic Venetian method. And below you see a tray of Venetian Beads ready to make jewelry.
