Topic: Murano glass jewelry

[jonspencer]

I have been reading about these designs and seen a few pieces in Milan antique shops

today I bought a few inexpensive pendants from a town over towards Venice named Monselice

they are set in some nice silver surrounds of obvious quality

in the past week I have looked at dozens of pieces of glass that were said to be Murano's by local experts but no signatures

it seems some of the trophy pieces are large and do have signatures but there are plenty of beautiful pieces that are unsigned but still must be authentic, particularly different types of lighting

[chopin-liszt]

Thailand, not Murano, and fairly contemporary. There is/has been a lot of fabulous costume jewellery from that source in the last 10 or so years.
They have been recreating fake gemstones from glass really, really well - (apart from opals - the real thing is completely different), and putting them in glorious hand made silver settings, along with pendants and chokers with these murrines.
I have one - and my OH won't let me wear it when I go out - too many people stop me to admire it and he gets fed up with it.

[Anne]

I have a similar pendant but mine says Made in Italy on its box: https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,20903.0.html

[jonspencer]

I have difficulty believing I bought a pendant that was made in Thailand at some church flea market in a small town in Italy but I am sure the clever guys in Thailand also package their products with boxes that say Made in Italy 

[chopin-liszt]

It was maybe about 10-15 years ago I got mine. At the time, gift shops and stands in markets were swamped with this amazing costume jewellery from Thailand. It was beautiful and very cheap, and it sold like hotcakes.
I saw it in Portobello Road, on several stalls as well as all over the place here in Scotland. Then it sort of dried up and you don't see it now.
The setting on mine is very complex - a huge amount of silverwork, flowers, scrolls, leaves and curls. I never saw another the same. I looked and looked!

What is worrying me about the OPs ones is that the canes themselves are not of what I would consider Murano quality - but canes and murrines are not my thing - neither is Murano. I only dabble around the edges of these "pretty things".

I'm just suspicious of them actually being "Murano". Especially when the canes are not highly complex.

[glassobsessed]

The canes are typical of those found in some Murano weights, much like this one.

John

[chopin-liszt]

That is certainly in much better focus; I can see clearly that the canes are more complex in that, with sea-anenome-y surrounding bits not plain bits,
Basically an extra cane inside a cane, level complex.

And going back to Jon's original pics, I think they might be more complex than I had originally thought, after all.
sorry!

[jonspencer]

after buying those two little pendants which I think are gorgeous if you hold them up in the light

I bought some more pieces both newer and old

the attached piece seems to be fairly old (and certainly not from Thailand or Taiwan ;-) with many different types of ornate beads

it is 31 inches long

my current favourite vase was a perfect stand for this necklace

[chopin-liszt]

 
Beads are notoriously difficult to find an origin for - many are made in cottage type industries.
They only really require lampwork.
Canes can be bought commercially from wherever makes them.
I have been told (by the folk on antiques roadshow), that beads with black centres, ones made on copper wires, are more likely to be from the Venetian area than beads with chalky white centres, which tend to be from around Prague - but remember - they're not terribly far apart. 

Your main string looks a bit like one cobbled together from beads from various sources and ages.
If you find beads on a knotted string, they are more likely to be original - as are beads on wires. The best thing to find them on is square-sectioned gold wires.

There are old beads, made from canes, which are of Indian origins. They tend to be very large.

Beads sell well, but based mostly on decorative value rather than anybody knowing where on earth they came from or who made them.

[jonspencer]

I picked up a few other fun pieces of Murano jewelry last week

all the items in this thread only cost a few Euros each, so really just a hobby and  learning process for me