Murano? Unique? Why?

Glass is all around us and it has been for centuries. It is so commonly used that we literally see through it… so why pay so much for a piece of glass jewelry? Just because it is Made in Murano?

Because it is Made in Murano!

Heat a blob of glass until molten, hold it with tongs or pliers (“borselle”) and attach an iron blowpipe to it. Now, roll the hot ball of glass while at the same time you’re blowing through a blowing pipe (“canna da soffio”). Then heat the glass again and repeat the above steps in order to obtain a small wonder. That’s exactly how the magic of Murano glass begins.

Just as magic and nevertheless as extraordinary, glass is all around us. Found in many different color and shapes, be it a vase, a bowl, a church’s stained glass (medieval glass) or a bead necklace; with gold or silver embedded in it or in vibrant colors… each and every glass object is absolutely unique.
Exclusively hand made by a glass artist, a craftsman or a Master Artisan, hand made glass objects and especially Murano glass items are unique.

Why?

Because at the other end of the blowpipe a human being is blowing life into the glass. And also for the very simple reason that human beings cannot make two identical objects, just similar ones.

This is the genuine appeal and magic of a blown glass item: one can have as many as one can afford to buy and they can be more or less beautiful, but no two of them will ever be the same if they are individually blown. And glass has been manufactured since the 3rd millennium BC in Egypt, where 1st century BC holds evidence of the first true blown glass in Syria.

Throughout the centuries blown glass has remained a luxury material and its art has flourished during the Roman world. The white silica sand from this area was the ideal raw material to be used in the production of Roman glass due to its low impurity levels. Starting with the 14th century, the island of Murano, off the shore of Venice, Italy, started to hold the monopoly in luxury glass creations: dinnerware, mirrors, jewelry, lighting products. It is here that throughout a laborious and demanding work of art experts craftsmen have been producing for many centuries blown glass objects of rare beauty; as finely labored as lace, as light as feathers, yet full of glorious colors. It is here that the Murano glass tradition as we know it today begun: paperweights, vases, chandeliers, mirrors, candy-glass ornaments, plates in different sizes and shapes, bottles of all sizes, tableware, small colored animals, figurines, calligraphy pens and of course jewelries! With regards to jewelry, one popular souvenir is la Murrina: a slim round pendant in colored glass with spiral or flower patterns that is hung on gold, silver or just a simple cotton necklace around your neck.

The art of glass blowing is first of all a family tradition in Italy, as thorough understanding of the material and excellent glassblowing techniques are required to fully exploit the qualities of the glass. Technical knowledge and skills combined with passion and pride taken in a work well done are passed on through generations of glassblowers and are developed in conjunction with a sense of elegance and style, thoroughly appropriate to the material.

Some of the Murano manufacturers are world-known for the beauty of the shapes, the difficulty of their craft, and the constant quality of their product; think vintage Venini or Seguso. But even smaller manufacturers nowadays create outstanding products, and indeed sometimes they can afford more freely to experiment and try new combinations, both in design and in balancing the colors, still always conforming to the traditional manufacturing techniques.

Often the Murano glass – especially the larger, more valuable pieces – comes accompanied by a guarantee, be it the artist’s signature or workshop’s trademark or a slip containing a certificate of authenticity. An original Murano item is heavy, its colors bright and its glass flawless. The lack of such a guarantee does not necessarily mean that one would be dealing with a fake or a copy. But then, how can I tell the real thing, how can I be confident that I’m not being sold "fake" Murano glass? Our advice is to buy from a respectable, specialized shops or at online businesses such as ours which provide certificates of authenticity.

And above all, do not be afraid to ask questions, whether it be to us or to the shop owner: the best Murano glass dealers have an in-depth knowledge of their wares and will be all too happy to answer your questions and help you make the best choice possible.

Last but not least, remember that Murano is an investment, both cultural and financial!