Tag: Venetian Glass Beads

From Canes to Murano Glass Beads for Jewelry

Our beads all take a similar path arriving here to have photography made, get names, assign Product Codes and finally to you. We begin with the famous Effetre glass canes which are produced on the island of Murano in much the same fashion as hundreds of years ago. The Effetre factory is a secretive place…

What Sizes are the Holes in Murano Glass Beads?

Venetian Bead Shop Beads on Mandrel

This is a question every new beader asks when they first encounter Venetian Beads. And then they ask, “What size wire should I use?” Venetian Beads, Murano Beads The most common size of holes of Murano Glass Beads is approximately 1mm. Approximate because they are most often made on 1mm diameter copper rods, which heats…

A place for everything, and everything in its place?

Murano Glass Beads,Venetian Glass Beads

‘A place for everything, and everything in its place.’ is the famous quote by Isabella Mary Beeton in her book of Household Management written in 1861. It’s a great philosophy, but with some 20,000 SKUs, it’s easier said than done. When we began importing Murano Glass Beads, we named them after the bead maker, their…

Let’s Make a Round Venetian Bead

Murano Glass Beads,Making Venetian Beads,Lampwork Beads

The round bead is the first one you learn how to make. And most of our other shapes take off from the humble round bead. So it is the building block and our most popular bead shape. We buy and sell many thousands of round Gold Foil beads each year. First you’ll need a torch,…

Working with Venetian Beads

Murano Glass Beads,Making Venetian Beads,Lampwork Beads

Ever so often we have to remind ourselves that we are working with artisans who work with materials at 2600F in front of fire breathing torches for hours each day. They are not machines, nor robots. Each of beads is a small work of art with all the beauties and “defects” inherent in any product…

Designing Beads with our Bead Makers

Beadmaking Murano Glass Beads with Millefiori

                We enjoy a very privileged friendship with our bead makers in Venice and Murano. Doing business internationally has it risks, there are no “laws” which cover commerce with individuals and small groups. It’s all about relationships and believe me you don’t want to burn one of those…

Working with our Bead Makers

We’ve been doing this since 1993, and over the time, we’ve learned how the Venetians and Muranese work, adapted to their lifestyle and gradually found the best of the best who work with us as partners in developing new products. Enjoy a little of our story, Read our Blog

Matte Your Own Venetian Beads

Make your own Matte Murano Glass Beads

One of our favorite ways to make a piece of Murano Glass Jewelry come alive is to use matte beads which gives you a contrast between our shiny Venetian Beads and the soft glow of the matte beads, a luster which resembles a Mother of Pearl glow. There are couple of ways to achieve this…

Antique Your Stampings – How to Oxidize Metals

Did you ever wonder how jewelry gets that faint, slightly antiqued look? Did you know you can do it yourself.Try this on small piece before you work on your best jewelry.What is Oxidation?It is a chemical reaction where metals is deliberately tarnished or slightly discolored, leaving a patina (finish). It gives the metal that vintage…