Venetian beads made in Murano and Venice itself are among the most recognizable and coveted glass beads worldwide. Venetian artisans have been influencing glass bead makers from around the world for several centuries, creating the distinct Venetian glass style.

Venetian beads are lamp-worked from Murano glass, i.e. the bead maker makes the bead from molten glass over an open flame. Most beads are made by women, many of them working out of their homes, carrying on a centuries-old tradition of hand-crafting beads from Moretti Effetre glass rods, the raw material for bead making. Beads made in the lamp-work method are the most time consuming, as each bead is made individually. Using a torch for heat, glass cane (also produced in Murano) is heated to a molten state and wrapped around a metal rod until the desired bead shape is formed.

Millefiori or Mosaic beads are made from colorful glass canes, which are pre- made from a variety of vibrant colors. The Millefiori beads are created by pulling molten glass initially laid out in a mosaic pattern into long thin glass rods, called Millefiori canes. Millefiori means "thousand flowers" in Italian. When cut the glass reveals the beautiful Mosaic designs within. These Mosaic slices are then placed onto a bead or other Murano art glass, which is why in Italy, Millefiori beads are called Mosaic beads.

Sommerso beads are named after the technique, which submerges different colors beneath clear glass. The use of goldstone (Aventurina) gives them the sparkle for which they are known. Sommerso beads are also called Aventurina beads.

Beads made with gold and silver foil interiors are relatively new. In these beads the foil is layered around a clear glass core and then covered with tinted glass. Metal oxides generate the colors of the glass, some of them more difficult to handle than others.

In the case of the Ca d'Oro glass beads, the gold foil is layered around a color glass center and then covered with clear, high quality crystal like glass, creating a very distinct style.

Ca d'Oro and Rezzonico beads are named after two very famous palazzos in Venice, the Ca d'Oro and the Ca d'Rezzonico respectively. The Ca'd Oro's facade (house of gold) was formerly covered with leaf gold, the Ca d'Rezzonico with silver. While both palazzos still stand, the facade covering is long gone.

KC Gems

Your KC Gems are Philippine-made fashion accessories and jewelry creations using only the finest Swarovski crystals, Swarovski pearls, Murano glass, Japanese beads, and semi-precious stones.