Hooray! We have finally been successful in obtaining the necessary VAT number to once again ship to the EU. That was a major undertaking that I am sure caused me more grey hair. We can ship packages values at under €150 through our international parcel consolidator.
HOW IT WORKS:
Our website will now charge VAT at the rate in your EU country. It will be displayed as you checkout. VAT is also charged on shipping. If you have a VAT # already, be sure to send to us. And we will use that number in our shipments.
NOTE: VAT will show as a separate line called “Taxes” As we do not include any taxes in the price of an item which is how the US works. And this is how we must report to your country’s tax agency. It will always be a separate line item at the end of your order.
We collect and submit the VAT directly to your country. This is accomplished for us by a third party known as an IOSS which is authorized by the EU. Below are the rates as of 9-24-21.
PACKAGES OVER €150 – HOW IT WORKS:
Packages with a value over the €150 cannot be shipped via our international parcel consolidator. We can ship USPS Priority Mail International or through various carriers such as FedEX, DHL, or UPS. The VAT will be collected by these carriers before delivery.
In the event that your order is over the €150, and that our website adds VAT to the order. You will not be charged by us. As most of you know, we only get an authorization at the time of the order, but we will process your credit card for only the amount of the order plus the shipping, not including the VAT.
GOOD NEWS:
The good news is that we can once again use our international parcel consolidator for much more advantageous shipping rates. Shipping is of course, based on the weight of the parcel. Here is the international parcel shipping costs to Europe (Other rates apply to the UK, Australia and other Pacific Countries)
Shipping Rate in US $$ and based on US – Weight in Pounds. 16 Ounces = 1 Pound
I am sure we will have some hiccups as we learn more about this and we will make adjustments and corrections as we need to.
I am hoping we can resolve the UK quickly. We are awaiting registration of our VAT # in the UK. We’ll keep you posted.
I am just happy that we can once again ship to all our valued customers in the EU.
Venice Glass Week of 2021 was exciting but exhausting. There were so many exhibits, workshops that it would take a month to enjoy them all. There were exhibits not only in Venice, Murano and Giudecca but also in Mestre, the town before the bridge. In all, between open studios, gallery exhibits and events there were 132 listed.
The week also collided with the Venice Film Festival and the inauguration of the Rialto Bridge after its restoration which was paid for by Renzo Rosso (the head of Diesel and OTB – Only The Brave Foundation) .Rosso invited Andrea Boccelli to sing. The city was bursting with energy and the first cruise ship of the year also arrived.
The historic REGATA STORICA was held on 5 September. It commemorates the welcome of Caterina Cornaro in 1489, the wife of the King of Cyprus, who renounced her throne in favour of Venice.
My favorite event of the Venice Glass Week, and every year, is the Boca del Fuoco, a 5K run, in my case walk, around Murano beginning and ending at the beautiful San Donato Church. The 5K winds through the darken streets of Murano and through working glass furnaces. We were 550 people this year, everyone in masks of course, just not the fun ones of Carnevale. The kids were a favorite of the glass blowers who loved explaining how to blow glass to the kids.
View from the Bridge (named for Toffolo an actor born in Murano)
Our starting line was just outside the church on the fondamenta. We all received shirts with our route (you just needed someone to read as it was on the back). First over the bridge and to the EffetreMurano, the furnace that make the canes everyone uses to make beads, the cotise (the chunks that some furnaces use) and of course the millefiori.
Candles lit the way for us and the running team had enlisted the help of the youngsters with lighted torches to direct the traffic. The run is a benefit for the Venice Runners, a local group.
Walkway with Candles – Note the tiny Moon just behind the bell tower
There was music in every furnace, but for those of you who blow glass, you know this. The maestro (who ever is in charge) gets to choose the music, but it is always blaring. It has to be loud for you to hear over the noise of the furnace. You can see on the marvering table a tiny horse that was made for the kids. Nothing serious tonight, just fun.
In the photo below, we are at the EffetreMoretti (now known as Effetre Murano) and the guys are demonstrating how to make zanfirico a cane we use in our beads with a twisted design inside the transparent canes. Bead makers sometimes pull their own canes, but here it is industrial, pulled 15-20 feet long.
Pulling Zanfirico Canes
It is pretty clear that furnaces are not glamorous, they are hot and dangerous.
Tagliapietra Furnace near Il Faro
Take a look below at the beautiful vases. The glass blower is making a fazzoletto, a handkerchief vase, named because it looks like someone holding a handkerchief.
Making a fazzoletto vase
After we ran/walked the 5K, we returned to the garden behind the San Donato church where these dedicated group had prepared food for 550 people. We ate pasta and fried fish and vegetables. The end to another great Venice Glass Week, even if I didn’t win the raffle.
Our brave Chiefs – Thank you! and See you next year!
Market Places, The Good, The Bad and the downright Ugly We get this question often “Where Can I sell my Jewelry?” There is no easy answer and during the days of COVID19, many of the absolutely best places like Festivals, Home Jewelry events or local markets have been shut down..
Face-to-face
The absolutely best place to sell the creations you have dreamed up, beaded up, and fell in love with during the process is:
In PersonFace-to-face with the customer is the best way. Even our smallest bead sellers know the value of face-to-face as they ran their own bead shop inside our warehouse for a couple of years. We had one customer who always wore multiple pieces on flights (again not available today). She would sell the jewelry right off her body to flight attendants, people sitting near her and of course giving our her card to direct them to her website. Face-to-face, you can bring your creations to life as you talk about them, share your enthusiasm and give a bit of a history lesson. As I had said many times, we are not selling glass beads, we are selling romance, the history of Venice, the story of the beads, the beauty of the design and the resilient people who live on the islands. Etsy Well for me Etsy is like a needy lover or friend. Etsy needs constant feeding, constant re-listing. True it has a good following and had a good reputation of truly unique, handmade goods……But over the years, it appears to have fallen victim to the corporate greed and bottom line numbers which has allowed a deluge of mass produced goods. We abandoned this marketplace years ago for its needy feeding habits. Maybe you can comment on why you like or do not like Etsy. Amazon – Talk about corporate greed! Amazon has more than 350 million products available online. Of those some 12 million are sold directly by Amazon – which of course creates direct competition to the market place sellers like you and me. And the percentages that they take can range up to almost 30% on lower priced items. There is no human you can ever find to discuss any issue. It is all run by AI. In fact, it you allow them, they will price your items for you using AI. Somehow I don’t see me beading late at night to have an artificial intelligence algorithm decide the price of my handmade creations. The biggest drawback to Amazon is you do NOT own the customer. There is no legit way to contact them, send them your newsletters. You are not allowed to put anything in the shipment directing them to you. The customer can send you a message, can select from a rather short list of reasons why they are returning the goods. Usually they just choose something. So you never get the use your good customer service skills to remedy an issue… You can also thank AI for this. And Amazon it arbitrary is selling any dispute. As a seller you are simply screwed. Recently I had a product on Amazon, handmade Murano Glass and suddenly the photo was for an entirely different product…a computer card reader for a computer. I did not put the photo on Amazon, nor could I delete it. It simply said that because multiple vendors were selling my handmade (NOT) piece they chose the best photo (NOT). And threatened my account because they said it violated copyright laws???? Excuse me! For several weeks we went round and round. Amazon simply couldn’t resolve it. I did! I deleted the product and closed my account for selling on Amazon. We used Amazon just as a way to get in front of new browsing customers. We always wanted them right here on our website where we can help them find what they need. Ebay Remember when Ebay was actually a viable market place? Oh that was so last Century ;>)Now it seems to be full of imports, knock-offs who gleefully stuff the listing with terms like Murano Glass, Millefiori, Venetian when in reality it is Chinese glass or Indian Glass. I just had an Indian supplier contact me to say they could sell me Murano Glass Beads hahahahaha! Don’t get me wrong, both the Chinese and the Indians have a long wonderful history of glass beads. BUT, it is NOT Murano Glass. I am pretty sure not one of them will pay the prices for Effetre Moretti Glass, the shipping, the customs duties which you must pay to have actual Murano Glass. What they probably mean (and I am giving them the benefit of the doubt) is that they use 104 COE glass???? My response to their emails is that they have a amazing culture, make things from their heredity instead of copying from the Venetians. What’s Your Point? Now if you are wondering the point of my wanderings here….probably not anything more than me ranting and raving and getting it off my chest. But we’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Beads have been used for generations to make necklaces, rosaries, and other pieces of jewelry. While traditional beads are adorable, lampwork beads go a step above in adding aesthetics and enhancing the overall appeal of the jewelry.
Despite their exquisite nature and unique heritage, few people are aware of their origin and building process. This necessitates shedding light on several topics such as ‘How lampwork beads are made?’ and so on. So without any further ado, let’s get started!
All the components needed to make lampwork beads
What are Lampwork Beads?
To know what Lampwork beads mean, it’s important to know what ‘Lampwork’ and ‘beads’ mean separately. So beads are small pieces of glass, stones, or similar materials that are threaded together to make jewelry or some other items.
<p id="On the other hand, lampwork is a glasswork technique where a torch or lamp is used to melt the glass. And once the glass is in a molten state, it is shaped using hand or tools.
So that means lampwork beads are those beads that are made using lampworking techniques. As these are mostly handmade, intricate designs and fascinating details are some features they are heavily endowed with.
Why are Venetian and Murano Lampwork beads famous?
Whenever we hear about ‘glasswork’, the mention of Murano is bound to take place. This is because glass making is widely practiced in Munaro and the artists and workers belonging to this place have acquired distinctiveness in glasswork. The Muranian glass work is inspired by Venetian glass artists.
One might wonder whether such beads can be copied by manufacturers in China or some other countries. Well the answer is Yes, they can be copied, however, there are several qualities of such Muranese beads that are difficult to be replicated, such as usage of Effetre glass canes (which are produced only in Murano).
Likewise, the tools used, and most prominently the traditional Venetian techniques are hard to replicate too.
All the mentioned factors make it a unique product which is endemic to Murano and some other areas where Muranian artists could provide their help.
And this is why at Venetian Bead Shop, we are a family-owned business in Santa Clara, CA, USA where we have been importing Venetian Glass & Murano Glass since 1993 and we work directly with the bead makers of Venice Murano which makes us able to provide the best Venetian & Murano lampwork beads in USA and worldwide.
What do you require to make Lampwork beads?
Every special thing requires unique efforts. The same holds for lampwork beads as well. It is important to source the required materials and tools before starting to make the Lampwork beads. Here are some of them-
Bench Burner
This is a device that produces heat and flames which is essential in heating and shaping the glass for making beads.
Hand Torch
You’d be dealing with intricate detailing and fine objects while working on beads. This makes a hand torch indispensable as using it you’ll be able to focus on different small and intricate particles of beads.
Marver
A marver is one of the most important tools when it comes to glassblowing. It is generally made of polished steel, brass, and attached to a metal or wooden table. However, when it comes to using them in a process requiring fine application, a hand-held version of the same could be used. Overall, it is a flat slab of metal or stone or wood on which glasswork is rolled, shaped and cooled.
Reamer
A reamer is a rotary cutting tool used in metalworking. They are used for finishing or enlarging a hole on a metal. A reamer may seem the same as a driller, however, while a driller ‘makes’ hole on a solid surface, a reamer on the other hand, finishes or works upon the existing hole to leave smooth sides.
Tungsten Pick
Tungsten is a hard metal that is used in making light bulbs and its extreme temperature resistance makes it ideal in glasswork or anything that requires dealing with high temperatures. There are several applications of Tungsten in bead making such as raking (dragging glass), boring holes, and others.
Mandrel
A mandrel is a cylindrical shaped rod around which metal or some other material is shaped or forged. Essentially, you’ll be using this device the whole time in making Lampwork beads.
Glass rods
These glass rods would be your primary raw materials. You’ll have to melt them to make beads.
How to make Lampwork Beads
Now we’ll directly shift to talking about how lampwork beads are made. We have tried to break down the steps involved into pointers. So here we go:
First of all, melt the glass rods over a torch and bring it into its molten state.
Now wound the molten glass carefully around the steel mandrel. The hole that we see in beads is formed due to the space taken up by these mandrels.
Now you have to give a shape to the molten glass by rotating the mandrel and holding it in various positions. The gravity and rotation given by you would help the bead in getting your desired shape. Now, as a beginner, you’ll not be certain about how hot the glass needs to be when it should be rotated or when to apply pressure. Needless to say, you’ll know the same gradually as you begin working regularly.
You can add decorative embellishment and colors to adorn the beads. Overtime, you’ll learn how different colors, tools, and metals react with glass to form beads.
You can also use marble tools, paddles, and marvers to give the glass the desired shape. Just make sure to keep the mandrel spinning and glass hot.
At last, you’ll need to carefully ‘anneal’ the beads. Annealing is a process of cooling down the glass, reducing stress, and avoiding thermal shock to the glass bead.
Overall, we can say lampwork beading requires a great deal of patience, precision, and skill sets. With practice and proper tools, you can make your own designer Lampwork beads.
Now if you wish to buy traditional Venetian and Murano Lampwork beads, you can browse for the same on our store. At Venetian Bead Shop, we provide over 6000 different colors and styles of traditional and modern Venetian glass beads. Do visit our store, we are sure you’d be delighted seeing the variety we offer.
This morning an article by Seth http://www.sethgodin.com appeared in my inbox. I subscribe to his witty, often point-on short saying or articles. Todays’ was a reflection of what happens daily. So here is what he said, I take his “back in the old days” to mean pre COVID “ “I hate this restaurant” Back in the old days, I took someone to a local Italian restaurant for dinner. As we looked over the menu, complete with regional specialties and handmade pastas, he started to sulk. With a sullen look, he said, “I want a hamburger and french fries.” Somehow, the patient kitchen staff figured out how to produce this out of thin air, and a tantrum was narrowly averted. But I’ve been thinking about that interaction a lot. In his mind, “restaurant” meant, “a place where I can get a hamburger and french fries.” If you look at many 1 star reviews (of books, of music, of restaurants of shops) this is precisely what you’re going to see. A mismatch of expectations. A mismatch that is blamed, completely, on the person who created the work, not the critic. It doesn’t matter that the thing was clearly marked. It doesn’t matter that the thing was extraordinarily well-produced. And it doesn’t matter if just about everyone else experiencing it was thoroughly delighted. Because for this spoiled, under-informed and impatient patron, it failed. This failure comes from a few contributing factors, all amplified by our culture: First, you can’t know if you’re going to like an experience until you experience it. All you know is your understanding of what was on offer. And because there are so many choices and there’s so much noise, we rarely take the time to actually read the label, or we get carried away by the coming attractions, or we just don’t care enough to pay attention until we’re already involved. [And marketers are complicit, because in the face of too much noise, they hype what’s on offer and overpromise…] Second, because many people are afraid. They’re afraid of the new and even more than that, afraid of change. Most people in our culture would like to be entertained not transformed, lectured at instead of learning. Third, the double-edged sword of giving everyone a microphone means that we’ve amplified the voices of dissent at the same time we’ve given people a chance to speak up about their desires. This means that mass culture is far more divisive than it ever was before, and it also means that bubbles of interest are more likely to be served. And so the fork in the road:
You can either turn your operation into a cross between McDonald’s and Disney, selling the regular kind, pandering to the middle, putting everything in exactly the category they hoped for and challenging no expectations… Or you can do the incredibly hard work of transgressing genres, challenging expectations and seeking out the few people who want to experience something that matters, instead of something that’s merely safe.” WOW So much to unpack, but so true. Have you ever noticed that only the people who are unhappy actually post reviews on that unmentionable website that pretends to rate everything? (Unmentionable because I will not give them more air.) But pondering on Seth’s post, is it because they had different expectations? Did the value in their mind not match what they ordered? And that is exactly what Seth says. And every website sends you immediately a link to review every item, whether it is a toothpick or a car! And as merchants and jewelry designers, we all fall victim to wanting those incredible reviews, yet subjecting ourselves to those people who are unhappy or having a bad day or were clueless as to what they really wanted. Or in our case can’t understand that handmade means NO Two are Ever Alike, PERIOD. And this was so timely as one of my neighbors in our warehouse complex wanted to see our warehouse location/SKU system. They sell on Amazon much larger items than our small jewelry components, but for anyone making picking/packing easier and preventing errors is always an interest. As they were looking at some of our racks and racks of beads, findings, crystals, they asked Why? Why what? Why Venetian Beads, don’t we know that we could buy beads from China for much less? I could see the math going on in his head, we could buy pounds of “similar” beads for at least 1/10 the price…..and supposedly our customers would be just as anxious to buy them. ….NOT So picture this: Two Chinese men! and me trying to explain that we aren’t really selling beads so much as we are selling a story, a romance of a beautiful culture and handmade (yes lovingly because they love the artform, the story of Venice glass artists are that way). And that there is a story behind every bead we have, a family, and that I can look at a bead anywhere and know who made it, who made the tools, who made the glass canes and the millefiori. And for the final, not to deter from the rich history of China, it is just my personal choice. Or as I say often #whyiwork Venice is where I want to be at the end of any day….and BTW #whyisellMuranoGlass
The news arrived unexpectedly a short email notice that Bead and Button, the beloved magazine is closing. No one in the industry had heard whispers of this. I quizzed everyone! But alas it was a “corporate” decision that “things are not as lucrative as they once were”. October will be their last issue and of course our last advertisement. We have advertised in the magazine since 1998, so a good 20+ years. It was our first advertisement buy and in those days, it was all about beading. And it was always a good investment. The Bead and Button Show was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in June of each year. We exhibited in the show only one year. It was difficult to get an invite and it conflicted with other business. But in 2013, we made the cut! Usually we ship by truck to shows, but the Bead and Button Show was back to back to a show in Las Vegas, so our only solution was to drive 800 pounds of beautiful Murano Glass Beads from Las Vegas to Milwaukee….A real road trip.
The show was amazing. We had exhibited at Tuscon for years, but there was a much more intimate feeling to Bead and Button as it was all under one roof, everyone was into beading and there were millions of classes. It was like a family reunion. And the sheer number of beads was exhausting. I can’t question the thought process of the owners of the magazine and show (well actually I can). It appears that the decision stems from the same thing I see at every show. I keep saying we got to get some younger friends. And that the number of advertisers was decreasing as were the number of participants at the shows. I just wish some really innovative people had found a way to keep the magazine going and of course the show because I still believe there is a place for them both. Because there are many shows, and some may say too many. But the quality of this show, the teachers at the show were in a class of its own. Bead and Button appreciated its advertisers and the people who wrote articles. Each year at Tucson for years they hosted a night to celebrate with their advertisers. For many years it was in the local museum. And if the COVID19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that everyone needs a hobby, something you can do with your hand, something creative! to stay sane! You can read the article written in the Craft Industry Allicance which quotes Dan Hickey, CEO of Kalmbach Media. You can draw your own conclusion. (Click Here) Now I am sorry I threw out all those old issues when we made our last warehouse move. And I wish we could have had a Farewell Party! Best wishes to everyone there in their future careers.
After making gorgeous bead necklaces or other Venetian Jewelry, you’ll often find yourself with leftover beads. When your bead soup is starting to overflow, there’s only one thing to do: give those leftover beads a new life. Sometimes, a pile of unused beads can seem like an obligation that’s calling to you. Instead, you should see them as an opportunity. Since you don’t have a specific plan as to how to use your leftovers, you can do anything imaginable with them. One of the most flexible choices is to transform them into bead pendants.
Turn Your Leftover Beads into New Art
Leftover beads tend to vary in size, shape, style, and quantity. That’s why we’ve crafted a diverse list of possible applications for your new beads, so you can find a suitable project no matter the shape of your stockpile. If you have a few leftover beads to put to use, then you should consider making some beautiful bead pendants. On the other hand, you might have accumulated a stock of leftovers so large that you need a more ambitious project. In that case, you can weave your extras into an intricate beadwork tapestry.
Bead Pendants
No matter the number or style of beads you have available, you can always make a charming bead pendant. With just a few extras, you can make a charming, minimalistic work of art. If you have more leftover beads to work through, then you can create more flamboyant pendants. You can even go so far as to convert a large box of bead soup into dozens of pendants and wear a new one each day of the month. No matter your ultimate goal, you have plenty of options and the process is easy. There are many online tutorials on making bead pendants, but the basic steps are straightforward.
Select your beads and head pins based on your desired look
Slide the beads onto the head pin and string them together
Voila, you’ve completed your bead pendant. Now, you just need to choose an appropriate material to string your pendant onto and you’ll be enjoying your one-of-a-kind work of art.
Beaded Coasters
Beaded coasters are a simple, functional way to put your leftover beads to work. All that you need to do is string your beads together, place them in a spiral pattern, and secure that shape with craft glue. There’s no limit to the colorful patterns you can design. However, it can often be tricky to visualize a spiral design since they’re not as common as others.
Before moving forward with the stringing process, consider arranging your loose beads in a spiral pattern to get an idea of what the coaster is going to look like. Think of it as the beadwork equivalent of making a sketch before proceeding with the final work. From there, you’ll work from the center of the set of beads outward while stringing them and you should accurately replicate your starting design.
Make Bead Earrings
When your leftover beads are less quantity, more quality, consider using them to make stunning bead earrings. You mostly need basic materials like round chain nose pliers, wire cutters, and beads, but earring hooks and endpins are necessary too. Your endpin resembles a short, stiff piece of wire that you’ll need to cut to your desired length. You’ll use it to hold the beads and add them until there’s about 1/2 cm. to 1 cm. of extra space on the pin. Then, you bend the endpin at a 90-degree angle halfway through the empty space. This hook will hold your earring hooks.
Custom Bead Ornaments for the Holidays
Have any red, green, and white beads laying around? If so, then you have your work cut out for you when it comes to making Christmas ornaments. You can easily incorporate other colors and interesting stylistic touches based on what extra materials you have laying around, as well. Depending on your religion, you might make a star of Bethlehem to hang from the Christmas tree, a beadwork menorah, or anything else. Beadwork is all-inclusive, after all.
Craft a Bead Bracelet
Bead bracelets are one of the most popular forms of bead art for good reasons. They’re easy to make and easily tailored to your whims and preferences, and you can make beautiful bracelets with any leftover materials. All that you need to do is string beads onto a piece of wire, and then secure the ends with a crimp bead. You can design your bracelets so that they’re tightly packed with beads, or you can adopt a looser approach that leaves more movement between beads. The decisions are yours to make.
Freeform Bead Art
If you have a large supply of beads to burn through, why not use them all at once in a freeform bead art design? By applying the Peyote stitch technique, you can turn any number of beads into an intricate brick wall pattern of colors and shapes. This stitching technique is highly prevalent in Native American artwork, but it’s been independently discovered in many different cultures around the world. That’s because it’s fairly simple and still offers remarkably attractive results. If you have a large pool of leftover beads to work through, then embrace the freedom that leftover beads offer you and craft a beadwork tapestry.
Find the Right Tools with Venetian Bead Shop
No matter the bead project, you always need to make sure that you have the right tools on hand. Specially designed bead tools have the precision to allow you to work gently with your beads, as well as many quality of life features. Find all the tools and materials to elevate your beading passion to the next level with Venetian Bead Shop. We stock tools from respected, prolific brands such as Wubbers, and carry all the crimp beads and craft wire you could ever need.
I always knew we in the Murano Glass, Venetian Glass and beads world were a small eco system. But COVID19 and the resultant shutdown of Italy, most specifically Venice and Murano have really brought it home. Venetians say we hate tourist and the annoyance to our daily lives they create. UNESCO says Venice can’t maintain the volume of tourist. The list of grievances goes on and on: 1) we can’t get on a vaporetto because the entrance way is blocked by tourist who have no clue where they are going 2) we can’t get on a vaporetto because the tourist have piled more luggage than the explorers searching for the Northwest Passage 3) tourist eating take away food on the steps of a church or someone’s front door step 4) tourist taking a swim in the canal 5) tourist who behave badly or walk around Piazza San Marco in bikinis 6) tourist rentals that displace locals 7) tourist who do not respect the history of Venice.
You get the point, pretty much everything the tourist does annoys someone and with valid reasons.
When Italy closed everything in early March, that put an end to tourist and not a surprise, it put an end to a lot of other things. Italians had a strict 200 Meter (656 feet) distance they could travel from their house except for the grocery store or the doctor and even then they had to download and print a document to show to the local police. Churches, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, cafes, well everything an Italian holds near and dear was closed. And along with that all the tourist shops in Venice and Murano were closed which meant that there was no longer a demand for Murano glass. And this is where our little eco system fell apart. I had never thought much about how dependent those of us who sell Venetian Glass, Murano Glass, and Murano Glass beads were on this tourist business. Individually, none of us can support the island of Murano and the furnaces. But as an ecosystem, we all get what we need and we keep the furnaces burning…..until Until we didn’t! The furnaces require a number of days to cool the furnaces without cracking everything. This article in Forbes of an interview with Fabiano Amadi of Ars Cenedese, a prestigious furnace in Murano supplying glass world wide gives you a pretty good idea of how difficult it was for them to shutdown and the hurdles they are encountering to reopen. Because even though Italy did it’s part and is now in a good place to re-open….The rest of the world did not match the strick shutdown and therefore many countries are still not allowed back in Italy, specifically the US. Which means that even though the shops in San Marco can open, there are not tourist to buy. Museums, malls and small galleries across the US are only just now able to open again with some restrictions, which means that the demand for Murano glass is still very low.
Read the Article in Forbes written by Rebecca Ann Hughes
To keep a furnace working is expensive whether it is a gas or electric furnace. To create glass sculptures requires a crew of a minimum of 3 and depending on the piece 5 well trained glass blowers. Then there is the person who mixes the batch, from raw mineral elements and the time it takes to get a batch ready to work. Today most furnaces do not have sufficient orders from both Venice/Murano and foreign buyers to keep their furnaces heated. And without sufficient orders they face another shutdown of the furnaces and the days or weeks it will take on both sides of a shutdown plus the cost of repairs and maintenance. From our beads perspective, we have only one furnace which creates all the glass canes we use, but they also depend on the orders of all the small bead makers and lamp workers of Venice and the surrounding areas as well as major suppliers of glass canes across the world. And since I can’t buy every bead every bead maker can produce, we need those shops selling jewelry in Venice and Murano to be ordering new jewelry creating a demand for more beads, more canes and of utmost importance, more work for the Muranese. So I keep buying way more beads than we need. It helps feed families in Murano and Venice as well as helping make their rent payment and keep my little part of the ecosystem working for better days.
How to Wash Your Murano Glass Beads – Why Soap it best.
We have been talking with our customers about concerns that our beads come from Italy, specifically Venice, Italy. But actually the concern relates to any beads handled by anyone in these days of the coronavirus. And this is a good safety for most everything you buy as everything is touched by humans somewhere along the production and packaging process. So we did a little research and a couple of customers gave us some suggestions. My photo shows Joy, but I am not recommending any particular brand, it is just what we had in the kitchen. Our glass beads are like the glass in your kitchen cupboards, they sparkle when washed and thoroughly rinsed. A word of caution for the blown beads which are hollow, be sure to shake the water out of them and leave them to dry with the holes vertically on a towel. This I learned long ago as the water drops left in the hollow beads will show through. You can use bleach on all our beads, except the ones with exterior gold, white gold or silver foil. The bleach will attack the metals. National Geographic has an article as did many other news outlets on how to wash hands and specifically why soap is the best choice. It has to do with the structure of the virus and the oils in soaps. Since I am not a scientist, here are a couple of articles and a quick search of the web should give you more confidence or a different method which you prefer. National GeographicThe New York TimesScience Focus As a side note, I am happy to report that as of today in Murano there is still not one death from the virus. As naturally isolated community, the isolation has been good for them. So when the tourist stopped arriving approximately 4 weeks ago, the arrival of any virus from exterior sources became less a possibility. There are, of course, still vaporetti plowing the canals as it is their only means of transportation to get to their doctor appointments, shopping for supplies or taking care of aging relatives. Small transport barges continue to bring in the supplies for the main grocery store on the island. Locals are delivering supplies to their neighbors who are older or at a greater risk.
What can people do with glass? We use it to make windows, mirrors, bottles, jars, tableware, tables, covers for watch faces, and more — including, of course, beads. Two distinct items can even be referred to as “glasses” — namely, the vision aid and any cup made from the material. Glass is practical for all of these uses because it is a hardy material in its final form, but can be formed into all kinds of shapes during its creation.
Also notable, though, is a less functional kind of glasswork. Ever since people first began heating and cooling sand, they have molded the material into beautiful and beautiful works of art. Consider the stained glass windows adorning medieval churches, or the more abstract sculptures from modern times. One form stands out for its ability to combine the aesthetic with the functional: Murano glass, a centuries-old artisanal tradition and the subject of this special article.
What is Murano Glass?
Murano glass gets its name from a chain of islands in the Venetian Lagoon. It is also known as Venetian glass for this reason, though the islands lie about a mile north of the mainland city itself. Archaeologists and historians believe the tradition to stretch back one-and-a-half millennia, originating from trade with merchants from the Middle East and the Byzantine Empire. Learning from those regions, Venice soon became the first European capital for glassmaking. Royals and nobles from across the continent considered Murano products a sign of luxury.
In fact, the islands comprising Murano received legal designation as the only place in Venice for factories and artisan shops. This move was partly done because keeping the fiery furnaces away from the rest of the town would prevent fires from spreading. Perhaps a more important reason was to help keep knowledge of their glassmaking technology and techniques away from outsiders, raising the value of their exports. Venice prized their secrets so much that glassmakers needed permission simply to leave the city.
As time passed, other European countries developed their own glassmaking methods, decreasing demand for Murano products. Napoleon Bonaparte’s conquest of Venice in 1797 ended the republic whose laws protected the glassmakers. His closure of the factories ten years later halted nearly all production. Thankfully for world culture, a revival began in the late 19th century. Now, Murano’s artisanal tradition is still going strong. Their unique techniques continue to dazzle.
What Makes Murano Glass So Special?
Although other countries, companies, and craftspeople have their own methods for making glass, none are quite like the method for making Murano glass. Their process involves mixing silica sand — approximately 70% of the batch — with a variety of substances. The precise identities of all the ingredients remains a well-kept community secret. Whatever they may be, their combination has the effect of lowering the required temperature for the glass to melt and take a liquid form.
This one change in its aspect makes for consistently high quality, something on which the artists behind Murano glass pride themselves. Moreover, they can more easily shape the paste into the forms and shapes they want. All kinds of household wares and decorations have been made from this type of glass. Popular examples of the artisans’ creations include glass horses, pristine chandeliers, ornamented mirrors, and cristallo chalices, among many others.
One element that can make Murano glass works stand out is the color. The material is clear and devoid of color on its own, but certain chemicals and minerals can be added to enhance its brilliance. Only a faint trace of selenium, for example, is necessary to spread billows of red through the glass. The colored sections, which can be shaped to create dazzling designs, are themselves transparent. They create new artistic possibilities without tarnishing or compromising the Murano glass. These color effects combine with the intricate sculpting to produce truly stunning works of art.
What are Murano Glass Beads?
The bead is another noteworthy product that can be made from Murano glass. They are as diverse as anything else made from the material, coming in an array of designs, sizes, and glassmaking styles. For centuries, the island’s artisans have worked to refine the process, using copper mandrels to create the beads one at a time. They string the glass paste around metal tubes, making holes so the finished product can be used as jewelry. They then stack layers of colored glass until it takes the desired appearance.
On that note, beads depend greatly on color. Most other Murano glass products, which may have a specific function and a more complex form. A clear cup retains an appeal that a colorless bead does not. As a result, you can find beads with all kinds of stunning color mixtures. No two are exactly identical in coloring because they are made individually, and also because of the sensitivity of the ingredients that create the colors. Artisans must mix and handle them carefully and wield the color canes with great care.
The vibrancy and quality of these glass droplets have given them an enduring popularity all over the world. Even in the dark period following Napoleon’s shutdown of the factories, global demand for beads allowed Murano glassmakers to scrape by and preserve their methods. It seems that any form of art can last, as long as there are those who learn about and appreciate them.
Where Can I Find Murano Glass Beads?
If you are searching for Murano glass beads of your own, then your search is already over. As you could guess by our name, Venetian Bead Shop specializes in beads made with this special and beautiful process. Every product available on our online store is forged, fanned, shaped, and colored by genuine artisans in Venice and the islands of Murano. Our relationship with these geniuses spans over a quarter-century, and their knowledge and methods have been passed down over generations. If you place an order with us right away, you will soon possess their high-quality, completely authentic masterworks.
