BLUE MURANO JEWELRY FOR BLUE MONDAY!

Last summer on our treasure hunting in Italy, I was amazed when I discovered the art of murano glass making. I couldn't believe how each piece was truly unique and no other was alike and each one a truly beautiful work of art.

This is a set of earrings and matching necklace that I fell in love with and wanted to share for Blue Monday because of its amazing shade of robin egg blue!

Working with a kiln, glass & gravity becomes for most artisans, a new & exciting skill. Handmade glass beads are made using a process called lamp work that first began in Venice around 1615 and is still used by Murano artisans today. It is a labor-intensive method, demanding concentration & skill as the glass is melted over a hot flame and at the same time wound around a steel rod. Different colored glass is melted and combined to give different designs & effects. Beads are kiln annealed to give strength to the glass.
Another form of glass work is dichroic glass, which is a glass with a very thin layer of metallic oxides sprayed on it in a vacuum atmosphere, resulting in layers with a total thickness of 3 to 5 millionths of an inch. As the angle is changed, so do the colors.
As each is a study in individuality as no two pieces are the same.
Here are some photos of artists creating Murano Glass:

Murano is just a short vaporetto (water taxi) ride from Venice, where murano glass is made, but this quiet island is a world away from often touristy Venice. Murano has its own Grand Canal, along with fascinating shops and sidewalk cafes. Murano also has a marvelous glass museum and several glass factories where you can watch these artists work in their own environment.

So, if your ever in Venice, don't forget about visiting Murano and visiting the factories where these talented artists create for you right before your very eyes! And if you can't get there anytime soon, visit TessorFino.com, my boutique, and browse under "Treasured Jewels" to see more jewelry from Murano! In the meantime, don't forget to head on over to SMILING SALLY'S blog to discover many posts today with the theme of Blue and see what my many blogger friends have in store for you!