Venetian Candy!

I promise I will discuss in further detail my last blog regarding trade beads. However, today I found it fitting to write a bit about Venetian beads because as we speak my brother Matt and sister-in-law Anna are in Italy relaxing and a trip to Venice is on the horizon. There are 4 large beads in this picture basking atop a small pool of little glass beads. The big "fish" are the true Murano beads hand made from Italy. The little tide pool below them are replicas that are coming out of India and China. Now these replicas are a wonderful substitute if price matters, but the art does get a bit lost in translation. While Muarno and Venetian beads may look similar very few are exactly alike, whereas the replica foil beads are all factory stamped and shipped. The replicas are beautiful but when given the opportunity to see the true Murano bead, it is hard to not select this rare breed over the mass produced "white bread" line!
I would also like to add that the Murano studio had to close its doors for a while because of all the knock offs appearing on shelves that essentially replaced their business.