A magnificent blue Murano glass bead necklace can be exclusively yours. We designed a one of a kind jewelry piece
for the Girlie Girl who likes to turn heads. This Girlie Girl uses jewelry fashion as an expression of her personality. She knows the
value of fine custom handcrafted jewelry and loves its uniqueness.
The handmade beaded necklace was designed with a sterling silver rolo chain, sparkly stardust beads, Swarovski crystals and magnificent
blue Murano glass beads. Wear the beaded necklace with jeans and a white shirt or a summer dress or look in your closet and imagine
wearing this with.......you’ll look great. We even designed matching beaded earrings. The necklace is 15" long.
Hurry though; it is a one of a kind blue Murano glass bead necklace. Make it yours today.
The history of Murano glass is interesting in the fact that it is the longest lasting center for glass making in history. It spans from
the 9th century to today, and is full of beautiful and innovative artwork, success, failure and thankfully, a remarkable resiliency in
the face of adversity. Because Murano does have such a long history, one can easily see the reflection of important events, including
the Renaissance and Napoleon's conquest of Europe, and how they affected a small island of glassmakers in the Adriatic Sea.
First for readers uncertain of where Murano lies, it is a small island North West of the city of Venice, Italy -not much larger than a
few square miles.
It is believed the origins of Murano Glass dates back to 9th century Rome, with significant Asian and Muslim influences, as Venice was
a major trading port. Multihued perle (beads) were used in trading with Asian, African and Muslim neighbors.
The first known historical document describes Domenico, a maestro (glass blowing master) who created fiole (bottles). Other equally rare
documents describe Pietro Fiolario working with glass in 1083 and Giovanni Fiolario as a maestro making bottles in 1158.
In 1291, the Maggior Consiglio (Venetian government) decreed that all the glass furnaces had to be moved from the city of Venice proper
onto the island of Murano, because of the fire hazard to a city built of wood. More politically astute observers note that the
consolidation of all glassblowers on a small island allowed the government to better oversee and manage its monopoly on the profitable
industry.
Realizing that the glassblower's secret techniques were prestigious and one of the underpinnings of the local economy, the Republic
further tightened its control by issuing an edict forbidding glassblowers to practice their craft in other countries.
However, the close eye kept on Murano and its artists had unforeseen positive consequences. By artificially concentrating the entire
glass blowing industry on a small island, it inadvertently intensified the level of competition between maestri; as a result the quality
of glass was dramatically refined, and new techniques and ideas rapidly disseminated throughout the island.
Over the years, the island has seen its fortunes grow and diminish, furnaces shuttered and its artists scattered throughout Europe. This
reversal of fortune lingered until the 1860's, when Vincenzo Zanetti developed the Glass Museum of Murano, (in reality more of a school
than a museum) and slowly began reintroducing lost glass blowing techniques.
One of the pivotal players in the modern Murano era is Paolo Venini. An unlikely candidate, an attorney with no experience in
glassblowing, he was known for his willingness to collaborate with others in diverse fields, especially from the world of architecture.
One of his greatest contributions to Murano in the 20th century was developing upcoming artists. The list of artists his company mentored
over the years reads like a who's who of the modern Venetian art world.
The future of the Murano is as bright as ever. Continual innovation coupled with a renewed emphasis on collaboration with artists
worldwide will serve the island well, allowing the maestro's to flourish and establish the 21st century as another "Golden Age"
of Murano glass!
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