Murano Glass Jewelry: Ancient Italian Art Still In Fashion

There are not many types of jewelry that have stayed relevant and popular through the centuries. Most jewelry produced centuries ago looks nothing like the pieces we wear today and is relegated to museums and antique shops. Not so with Murano Glass jewelry. It is part of a living, breathing story of a small Italian island community of artisans and artists who preserved and evolved a hard-to-master craft through the ages. Murano glass jewelry, with each piece channeling the centuries-old tradition, is more than a lovely accessory. It represents history shaped by the hands of the talented, persistent, and hard-working craftsmen who managed to turn it into a globally recognized art form.

The History of Murano Glass Jewelry

From the beginning of the craft, Murano masters learned from the artisans in the Byzantine Empire and developed new techniques that would transform the art of glassmaking. The Renaissance in Italy also ushered in the golden age of Murano, with the introduction of multiple new designs that became possible thanks to the invention of new techniques of glass production.  

The most important was the production of clear glass called “Cristallo,” which allowed the creation of almost weightless translucent glasses and tableware. Then came the “milk glass,” known as “lattimo” in Italian, which was used to closely imitate coveted Chinese porcelain. These new designs highlighted the Venetian artisans’ ability to manipulate glass in creative ways and craft objects that instantly became popular far beyond Venice. 

The popularity of Murano glassware took a hit in the 18th century when tastes started changing, and the Austrian Empire sponsored the rise of the Bohemian glass industry, rivaling Venice’s in beauty and appeal. Murano’s artisans continued working tirelessly, and in the 20th century, they teamed up with artists who pursued abstractionism and other new art movements. This rekindled interest in Murano Glass and made it an important part of the global art scene.

Angelo Barovier’s revolutionary creation of Cristallo and Giuseppe Briati’s popularization of Murano Glass chandeliers originally made Murano Glass world-renowned. Later on, well-known politicians, artisans, and enthusiasts such as the mayor of Murano, Antonio Colleoni, lawyer turned glassware businessman Antonio Salviati, and master Fratelli Toso were key figures leading the revival of Murano glass.  Each era gave birth to thinkers who pushed the boundaries of the known qualities of glass and possibilities in glass-making, ensuring the craft’s evolution to an art form, its continued survival, and its relevance.

The Craftsmanship of Murano Glass Jewelry

Beyond skill, precision, and hard work, creating Murano glass jewelry involves a lot of creativity and hinges upon a deep understanding of the material and its unique qualities. The process usually begins with creating glass canes with various colors and designs on the cross-section. 

The canes are the result of the careful preparation of the glass mixture using silica mixed with lime and oxides to produce vibrant colors. This mixture is then heated up in the furnaces and stretched by two artisans holding the opposite sides. 

These canes are then melted again by the jewelry glass master using a small gas-powered flame (and centuries ago simply a torch) to a point where the cane’s end becomes malleable. This allows the Murano artisan to shape the molten glass using various tools and techniques, creating rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and many other beautiful jewelry pieces. This method is known as the lampworking technique. 

Glassblowing, another well-known technique, involves blowing into a blob of molten glass through a blowpipe, enabling the creation of larger pieces. Millefiori, a word meaning “a thousand flowers” in Italian, is a method of using arrangements made of cross-sections of a glass cane to create intricate floral patterns, a sought-after motif in Murano glass jewelry.

The Rise to Popularity

The standing of Venice in the Middle Ages as a rich and powerful metropolis, the capital of an empire with a strong commercial fleet, and a navy power to be respected and feared helped propel Murano Glass to international fame. Murano Glass was one of the most important and profitable objects of trade. 

With the Renaissance came significant royal patronage – monarchs across Europe commissioned Murano glass for their courts. Murano goblets, bowls, and carafes were ordered by kings and nobles for their table settings, Venetian chandeliers and mirrors were in demand for palace interiors, and Murano jewelry was popular among wealthy stylish women in Venice and beyond. 

Then, there were many rises and falls in the popularity of Murano Glass. The grand tour of the 18th century put Venice on the map of an educational tour of Europe necessary for every young man from a noble family. This brought many wealthy patrons looking for souvenirs to take home. Later on, Venice was captured by Napoleon, and its traditional crafts suffered greatly under his occupation.

 In the early 20th  century, a revival fueled by emerging art trends brought Murano glass back into the European salons, where it became all the talk of the art world. This, along with burgeoning tourism, re-established its status as a symbol of luxury and the accessory of choice for the aesthetically-minded.

Murano Glass Jewelry in Modern Times

Nowadays, Murano glass jewelry is celebrated for its uniqueness, handcrafted appeal, and versatility in fitting current fashion trends. Designers incorporate modern ideas into traditional techniques, making earrings, rings, necklaces, and other jewelry pieces that make perfect accents to wardrobes spanning a style range from classic to avant-garde. The global fashion community has noticed Murano jewelry thanks to its focus on uniqueness, artisanal methods, and supporting small businesses and specialized crafts.

Fashion designers and luxury fashion and jewelry brands regularly collaborate with Murano artists to create statement pieces that bring a taste of Italian beauty and capture the fashion world by surprise. These pieces frequently feature in major fashion magazines not just because of their unique aesthetics but also due to their cultural significance and roots in traditional Italian crafts.

Buyer’s Guide to Murano Glass Jewelry

When purchasing Murano glass jewelry, you want to make sure you buy the real deal. Lots of fakes circulate around the internet, made in Asia, Brazil, or anywhere but on the Italian island of Murano. Even in some Venetian shops, unfortunately, there are fakes. Beware of what original Murano Glass looks and feels like. Look for certificates of authenticity, marks of the artisan, or stickers of Vetro Artistico Murano. If you are in Venice, purchase from shops where the owners or salespeople know a lot about the craft, can explain differences between different items in terms of techniques and craftsmanship, and genuinely care about Venetian artistic heritage. 

Choosing the best Murano glass jewelry for you means finding the right colors to complement your skin tones and your favorite outfits, picking out the designs that best fit your style – flowery and colorful or minimalistic and black and white, and combining pieces that complement each other without creating an overly busy impression. The best approach is usually either to allow the jewelry to stand out as the focal point of your look or to have it complement and quietly accentuate your outfit and style.

Learn More About Murano Glass

Murano glass jewelry channels the spirit of Venice, a blend of historical richness, artistic evolution, and top-of-the-line craftsmanship. It continues to be at once art and fashion, a subject of museum exhibitions and fashion magazines, and a way to accessorize for every woman and every day. Murano jewelry stands for a long tradition of excellence carried out by generations of artisans, and as such, it remains the best souvenir to bring home from Venice, Italy.

If this is your first encounter with the Italian craft of Murano glass-making and you wish to learn more, Venice has a special museum dedicated to Murano Glass, featuring not just rare and unique pieces but also videos and step-by-step illustrations of the glass-making process. There are even live demonstrations of Murano glass craftsmanship on Murano island that showcase the process of Murano glassmaking. We recommend visiting these to better understand how unique Murano Glass is and why Murano Glass jewelry is the choice for those who appreciate art, history, Venetian beauty, and unique Italian way of life.