Unique Beads And Charms
 Pugster Heart Mother & Daughter Beads Charm- Pandora Charms Bracelet Compatible Sale Price: $9.99  Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days DescriptionThis Heart Mother & Daughter Beads Charm- Pandora Charms Bracelet Compatible Bead is compatible with Pandora bracelets, and interchangeable with Pandora charms / beads! Made of pewter plated with silver, will stand up beautifully to the test of time and wear...  |
 Duragold 14k Yellow Gold 2mm Round Hoop Earrings, (0.59" Diameter) List Price: Sale Price: $59.00 You save: $53.00 (47%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours DescriptionClassic and sophisticated in design, the 14k Yellow Gold 2mm Round Hoop Earrings makes a wonderful gift for any woman. These 14k yellow gold earrings radiate in any light. The will remain secure on any ear with their hinge-with notched post... |
 Bling Jewelry Mother Daughter Heart Dangle Bead Pandora Chamilia Troll Biagi Charms Compatible List Price: Sale Price: $24.99 You save: $27.00 (52%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days DescriptionA perfect fit. Our Mother Daughter Charm Heart Dangle Bead is in two parts. Put them together and you have a beautiful silver heart that will shimmer and shine on your Pandora compatible bracelet. Dangling beads add a little drama to your bracelet... |
 .925 Sterling Silver Stamped European Turquoise Hawaii Ocean with Flowers Murano Glass Bead Charm List Price: Sale Price: $6.45 You save: $18.54 (74%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days DescriptionYou don't need to travel all the way to Hawaii as along as you have this bright blue bead, adorned with beautiful Hawaiian flowers. This bead has a .925 sterling silver core, and is suitable for 3mm Cable European Charm Bracelets... |
 Silver Core Bright Red with White Swirls Murano Glass Bead Charm List Price: Sale Price: $6.45 You save: $18.54 (74%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days DescriptionThis bright red glass bead with creamy white swirls bead has a .925 sterling silver core, and is suitable for 3mm Cable European Charm Bracelets. It is interchangeable with other European bead charms, and is compatible with Pandora, Troll, Chamilia, Biagi & other styles of European bracelets... |
 MLB Charm Dangle Earrings DescriptionOur officially licensed MLB charm earrings have hpyoallergenic fish hook posts and have a 3/4 inch team emblem. |
 Pugster Silver Plated Photo Bead Sign Medical Alert Photo Flower European Charm Beads Fits Pandora Bracelet Sale Price: $7.49 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 4-5 business days DescriptionExpress your own unique style by customizing your bracelet! Pugster offers an array of exquisite andamp; unique designed Flower European Bead bracelets which is the ideal choice for any occasion. This Pugster gold plated Sign Medical Alert photo Flower European Bead bracelet is a great addition for your dynamic bead collection... |
 Nature Medley Leaf Y Necklace List Price: Sale Price: $14.00 You save: $4.00 (22%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours DescriptionGet a breath of fresh air with this feminine and delicate Y-drop necklace. The uniquely cut amethyst, jade and rose stones alternate down the neckline and are connected at the center by a triangular shape... |
 Teacher Loop with Apple Charm- End of the Year Poem Sale Price: $34.00 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days DescriptionThe Teacher Loop is a great way to show your appreciation. Each comes with the Messages of Love Teacher Poem. The loop is designed to wear on a small wrist, book bag, purse strap. See also our teacher bracelets and bookmarks. |
 Ultimate Disney Classic Charm Bracelet Featuring 37 Disney Characters by The Bradford Exchange Sale Price: $199.00 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days DescriptionDisney Charm Bracelet is a Dream Come True! 37 Handcrafted Character Charms Adorn this 24K Gold-plated Link Charm Bracelet! - Celebrate the Magic with an enchanting reminder of our most treasured memories with Disney through the years! A fine jewelry design available from The Bradford Exchange, this sparking Disney charm bracelet features an incredible 37 Disney character charms... |
Unique Beads And Charms
The History of Venetian Glass and Murano Glass Beads is Long and Venerable
Copyright (c) 2010 Alison Withers
Using silver and glass beads to make up a unique charm bracelet has become very popular because they can be assembled to suit the wearer's tastes and preferred style or colours.
The famous Murano beads are among the most popular glass beads made in Venice, the home of glass making.
It's thought that glassmaking in Murano began as early as the 9th Century influenced by Asian and Muslim culture because Venice was a major trading port. The technique of enamelled glass came from the Syrians and after the fall of Damascus in 1400 and Constantinople in 1435 other techniques of decoration were added to the Venetian craftsmen's repertoire.
In 1271 the Venetian authorities banned the import of foreign glass and forbade foreign glass makers from working in the city and in 1291, fearing fire in the city's mostly wooden buildings the authorities ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to the island of Murano.
It was a skill that was jealously guarded and the Murano glassmakers were not allowed to leave the Venetian Republic, though some did take the risk, travelling as far as the Netherlands and England to set up their furnaces.
Glass is made from silica, which becomes liquid at high temperatures. There is a period during cooling from liquid to solid when it is soft and can be worked and shaped.
The Murano glassmakers developed several techniques including enamelled glass, called smalto, glass with threads of gold, called aventurine, and multicoloured glass, called millefiori, milk glass, called lattimo, and imitation gemstone glass.
Various other materials are added to glass that can produce different finishes. Soudium is used, for example, to make the glass surface opaque.
One of the most famous is the millefiori design, which is made by layering coloured, liquid glass with each layer shaped by a mould into a star, that is then stretched into long rods, called canes. When these have cooled the canes are sliced across. The cross section looks like a collection of flowers, hence the name millefiori (a thousand flowers).
Colour canes, with the colour introduced using chemical compounds, are the basis for making Murano beads. A very precise mix of copper and cobalt makes aquamarine colour, while a gold solution is the colouring agent for ruby red.
The method for bead-making was invented in the 1700s using two techniques, called wound lampworking and the torch and mandrel.
The process called lampworking is the most time-consuming as each bead is made individually. In this method the canes are heated to molten, wrapped around a metal rod and then worked by adding layers of different coloured glass as well as gold or silver leaf to achieve different effects.
Once the beads are cold and have turned solid they can be removed from the metal rod leaving a hole through which they can be threaded.
Among the most popular lampworked beads are the wedding cake - with glass overlays either featuring flowers or patterns of swirls or dots - and Venetian foil beads - fusing colour with gold or silver.
Canes are melted then blown to make blown beads. This is called the Filigrana or Filigree method.
Given the rich variety of the beads' finishes, colours and pattens, it's possible to create a unique bead charm bracelet with special significance for its owner.
About the Author
The Island of Murano is the home of glassmaking, including the famous glass beads now popular for
creating individual bracelets
. Venetian glass making has been famous for centuries and was once a jealously-guarded trade. Consumer journalist
Ali Withers
explores the history.
Unique Beads And Charms
Loc Jewlery Cuffs - With Beads
