| Murano Italy, a small town north of Venice, has | | | | straight striped, some are spiral and may then be |
| set the world standard for glasswork and beads, | | | | shaped into balls and teardrop shapes. In modern |
| including Murano Rosary Beads, making it the glass | | | | times the glass created though the 1950s is |
| capital of the world,. Tracing back to the 9th | | | | considered one of the most sought after. In the |
| century, Murano glass and beads have a long | | | | late 20th century, the problem of counterfeiting |
| history. The artwork, innovation and | | | | Murano Glass entered the market. Asia was |
| craftsmanship have grown in tradition though the | | | | making replicas of the glassware, vases and |
| centuries. Murano was a large port, along with | | | | millefiore, a process where buy an image is placed |
| Venice allowing it to use the glass as a trading | | | | into the glass rod itself and then becoming part of |
| state with its is Asian and African neighbors. One | | | | the blown bead, Prior to 1849, it was called |
| of the earliest uses and stories was about how | | | | mosaic. Millefiori in Murano beads always contain a |
| glass was blown into the shape of bottles dating | | | | very distinctive flower pattern. In response the |
| back as far as 1083 and elevated to the glass | | | | Promovetro, or glassmakers consortium, came up |
| capital of the world in the 13th century. In the | | | | with a Murano trademark, a lilac sticker that |
| 1930s there was a distinctive shift in Murano | | | | displays a cana de soffio or glass blowers pipe |
| Glass, lead by Ermanno Toso. He changed the | | | | and the Italian words, Artistic Glass Murano so |
| focus of the items made to a more modern | | | | that it is difficult to copy. This was registered with |
| theme. Murano glass and the island itself has | | | | the European Union. In 2003 it was necessary for |
| withstood the test of two world wars, and in the | | | | the city of Venice to once again make a new |
| 40s was reinvigorated post World War II, making | | | | Trademark designed by the French artist, Mathieu |
| the 1950s one of the more artistically memorable | | | | Thibautto. This allowed for Murano glass stay |
| sets of years. Among the artist techniques | | | | exclusive and making counterfeits lacking in the |
| employed, glass blowers used the technique called | | | | quality and history that Murano glass beads have |
| filigrana, where the glass blower takes the glass | | | | come to represent. |
| blowing pipe and roll over the canes of glass each | | | | Beth Guide is the webmaster for Faith-Full. |
| a unique striping for the bead. Some beads are | | | | |