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WLOS Craft Corner

Venetian Beads

To place an order, call us at (828) 884-5920 or email us at orders@abetterbead.com with the words Place an Order in the subject line of your message.  In the text of the message please include the following information:

• stock number (Listed in blue under the item just before the price.)

• a description of the item(s) you wish to purchase

• quantity of item you want to purchase

• shipping address

• the method you wish to use for payment.

Please DO NOT include credit card numbers in your e-mail.  Payment may be made in the following ways:

• VISA or Master Card (processed over the phone)

• US Postal Money Order

• personal check

In 1985, Nicole Anderson departed for Europe with a one-way ticket.  Having graduated from St. Mary’s College of Orchard Lake, Michigan in 1984 with a B.A. in Communication Arts, she yearned to see all the art history that she studied for years.   During this adventure, she met a man in Venice, Italy, and got married.  The marriage was short-lived but she decided to stay in Venice because she was spellbound with the charm of the city.   

Nicole’s first job in Italy was painting masks for Carnivale.  This job lasted four years and gave her the language skills she needed to pursue a career in the glass industry.  She later held jobs in beautiful glass stores in the historical centers of Venice—St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge area, as well managing a glass lighting store on the island of Murano.  It was during these first jobs that Nicole fell in love with Venetian glass beads and soon discovered that she had a natural talent for selling an article that she truly adored.  She invested time and money in collecting beads, making jewelry, buying books on beads, studying the history of Venetian beads, and eventually taking this passion to the U.S. to share and export the beads.

 Nicole lives full-time in Venice, Italy.  She speaks fluent Italian and has Italian citizenship.  She comes to the U.S. every year to embark on a 10,000-mile trunk-show tour.  All the beads she carries have been handcrafted by Murano artisans.  Nothing is imported.  She carries beads from the 1920s, vintage beads from the 60s, new chevrons, old chevrons, blown beads, lamp-worked beads, and contemporary beads and pendants—all originating from the island of Murano where the art of blowing glass began in the late 1200s. 

 Nicole is currently writing a book on the history of a glass and bead factory of Murano—the Società Veneziana per l’Industria delle Conterie (1898-1992).  She has won several grants from the Northwest Bead Society and the Bead Society of Greater Chicago.  The book should be completed by 2012.

New Venetian Stock

Hollow Bubble Beads

All our bubble beads are one-of-a-kind, hand blown beads.

Those pictured below are all we have. 

We have no duplicates.

5719-1 - $8

5719-2 - $8

5719-3 - $8

Yellow Beads Below

5719-4a - $8 each

Yellow Bead Below

5719-4b - $8

Yellow Beads Below

5719-5a - $8

Red Bead Above

5719-5a - $8

Red Bead Above

5719-5b - $8

Red Beads to the Left

5719-6 - $8 each

Orange Bead Above

5719-7 - $8 each

Caramel Bead Above

5719-8 - $8 each

Red Bead Above

5719-9 - $8 each

Mauve Bead to the Right

5719-10 - $8 each

Large Bead in this Picture

5719-11 - $12

Smaller Beads in Picture

5719-12 - $8 each

5719-13 - $8

5719-14 - $8

5719-15 - $8

5719-16 - $8

5719-17 - $8

5719-18 - $8

5719-20 - $8

5719-21 - $8

5719-19 - $8

5719-22 - $8

5719-23 - $8

5719-24 - $8

5719-25 - $8

5719-26 - $8

5719-27 - $8

5719-28 - $8

Pineapple w Black Stripes

Luigi10 - $10

4467 - $10

Above Left or Right

1063 - $10

a

Large Bead Immediate Left

Luigi12a - $12

Small Beads far Left

Luigi12 - $8 each

Groups of Beads

All beads in a group are the same price per single bead with the same number unless otherwise indicated.

Click on any thumbnail to enlarge.

Top shot in picture pairs below show relative size compared with neighboring beads. 

Bottom pictures show details of beads or parts beads when whole beads are too large to fit in frame.

*Starred Items show a sampling of available beads.  All other pictures show all available beads in that style or color.

Bicones

Bicones

LC036 - $7.50

Bicone

LC095 - $11.50

16 X 22mm Bicones

TUS01 - $6

18 X 27mm Bicone

LC024 - $8.50

LC098 - $1.75

LFV024 - $20

10mm

V74 - $

LC074 - $4.50

LC015 $9

LC047 - $10.50

Lentils

LC023-L - $9

LC031 - $12

EGB026 - $9

EGB025 - $12

Lentils

20 to 23mm

LC015 - $9

Lentils

14mm Round

EGB010 - $5

Lentil

EGB024 - $6.50

Green or Blue 12mm Rounds

EGB020 - $6.25

Green or Blue Small Lentils

EGB024 - $6.50

Green or Blue Large Lentils

EGB025 $12

8mm Corner Drilled

LC002 - $5

16mm Corner Drilled

LC009 - $7

DOI021 - $6.75

Triangle LFV010 - $6

Diamond LFV012 -$8

Triangles and Diamond

V16 - $7.75

Diamonds

V67 - $5

V38 - $4.75

sold

DOI015 - $6.50

V13 - $5

5mm Rectangle Cubes

LC072 - $5

Rectangle Cubes

V05 - $6.50

12mm Flat Squares

LC034 - sold

Flat Squares

V03 - $4.50 each

LC005 - $3

8mm Flat Squares

LC003 - $5.50

16mm Flat Squares

LC055 - $6.50 each

16mm Flat Squares

LC055 - $6.50 each

20mm Squares

LC004 - $10 ea

Rectangle

DOI19 - $4

17 X 20mm

V61 - $9

18mm

LC079 - $7.75

22 X13mm

Green Plain V21 - $6

Squiggle V62 - $8

28 X 37mm

LFV022 - $12.50

4 X 32mm Rectangles

LC026 $12 each

or

2 for $22

10mm Hearts

EGB011 - $4 ea

12mm Hearts

EGB012 - $5 ea

LC013 - $5

7047 - sold

3638 - $8.75

5711 - $11

$10

$22.50

$18.50

3890 - $18.50

Large Hearts

6998 - $24

Large Hearts

6999 - $24

Small Heart Pairs

1073 - $9.50

13mm

4469a - $11

13mm

4469a - $11

&

Flat Ovals

LC059 - $5.50

15mm Olives

V37 - $3

4478 - $10

25mm Olive

LC070 - $11

DOI013 - $15

Olives

LC073-O - $7.50

16 X 35mm

Faceted Olive

7008 - $22

37mm Olive

4466 - $13.00

35mm Olive

7840 -$16

Olive

LC094 - $10

40mm Loaf

LC073 - 47.50

45mm Loaf

4466 - $13

22mm Flat Oval

V06 - $7.50

V80 - $8

40mm Flat Oval

V7 - $12

26 X 37mm

LC071 - $22.50

LC061 - $2.50

Logs

LC061 - $2.50

V18 - $1.25

V24 - $3

8 X 32mm Log

V65 - $10

LC057 - $8.50

LC54 - $6.50

Nugget

$11.25

Nuggets

LC073-N - $7.50

14mm Nugget or 14 X 27mm Bicone

LC017 - $8.50

18 X 30mm

LFV020

$10 each

7040 - $6.25

LC050 - $2

Twist

32 X 62mm Leaf

LC083 - $12.50

30mm Mogen David

LC090 - $25

1095 Sm $7

LC090 Lg - $25

V11 - $8.75

LV024 - $8.50

LC08 - $11

Swirls - LFV002 - $2

Blue - V01 0 $2

JD003 - $6

18mm Lentils & Olives

JD006 - $7 each

Round JD002 - $5

Coin and Twist JD005 - $6.50

Round LV011 - $5

Lentil LC036 - $7.50

LC032 - $5.50

LC030 - $8

LC065-RL - $11

LC037 - $8.50

LFV019 - $15

9mm Multi Colored
Silver Foil

EGB002 - $1.35*

EGB004 - $1.75*

8mm

LFV001 - -$1.50

Small V51 - $1.75

Large V53 - $2.50

10mm Round

V02 - $3.25

LC058 - $5.50

V19 - $3.50

V02 - $3.25

10mm

V29 - $2.50

LC077 - $6.50

12mm

LFV001 - $4

V42 - $5.50

13mm Rounds

V09 - $4.50

14mm

V23 - $4

14mm Round

v68 - $4.50

12mm

V09 - sold

Rounds

LC023-R - $9

EGB019 - $6.50

15mm Rounds

LC033 - $3.75

15mm Reticells

V57 - $6

15mm Rounds

LC032 - $5.50

16mm Round

V32 - $4.50

16mm Round

V76 - $7.50

Small - DOI014 - $1

Large - V52 - $3

16mm

V63 - $7

LC0?? - $8.50

28mm Round

6998 - $24

$18.50

30mm Flat Drop

5713 - $12

32mm flat tear drops

LC029 $8.50 ea

20mm Crackle

Tear Drops

CZ255 - $5.25 ea

DOI11 - $3

Reversible Heart Pendant

Left - $32.50

Square Murrines

Left - $12

LC080 - red

LC080 - white

LC080 - black

Rectangle Murrines

Above - $14.50

LC081 - red

LC081 - white

Small Star Fish Necklace

black/silver

$25

Star Fish Necklace

teal/gold/red

$42.95

70mm

Star Fish Necklace

red/gold/lime

$37.50

55mm

Star Fish Necklace

blue/silver

$37.50

55mm

Star Fish Necklace

red/teal/gold

$37.50

55mm

Chevron Noodles - 50 x10mm

7012 - $25 each

Chevron Slice Necklace

blue/white/orange

Left - $24.50

Chevron Slice Necklace

white/browns

Right - $24.50

38 X 65mm

3890 - $37.50

Venetian Pendant

7040-sq - $16

Venetian Pendant

7040-rnd - $16

Pill Boxes - 7024 - $17.50

Rectangle - 20 X 25 X 30mm

Round - 30mm

Venetian Pendants

7992 - $32.50

40 x 76mm Leaf

1030 - $20

Where and How are Venetian Glass Beads Made

Like the city of Venice, Murano comprises a cluster of small islands, connected by bridges.  It has been the center of the glassmaking industry since 1291 when the furnaces and glass craftsmen were moved here from the city.  This move was prompted by the risk of fire and the disagreeable effects of  smoke from the furnaces.  The buildings and homes of the period constructed almost entirely of wood. 

The island of Murano is about a mile across the water from Venice and, in Roman times, was already inhabited.  Amurianum  was its original name.  Used at first as shelter by refugees escaping from barbaric invasions of Altino, Opitergio and Aquileia in the 5th Century, Murano soon became a fulcrum of important traffics and distinguished itself the glass art. 

Men and women from Oderzo later joined these settlers and by the 7th and 8th centuries, the island’s port of Sant’Erasmo was an important calling-place for merchant ships.  Eventually, Murano grew in population and prosperity reaching its greatest splendor in the 16th century.  During this time, many palaces and houses, churches and monasteries, gardens and orchards sat side by side with glass factories demonstrating the prosperity of this wealthy community.  So densely was the island populated that by the 11th century, the Doges were encouraging islanders to move to Venice.

After the 13th century Murano passed under the jurisdiction of a podesta, a mayor, chosen from the ranks of the Venetian patricians but continued to have its own Grand Council.   It had a Golden Book, in which were entered the names of its original families, all of whom enjoyed special privileges allowing a Veneto aristocrat to marry the daughter of a glass master without losing any of his claims to his noble titles. 

Just as in Venice, Murano too could coin annually. From the mid-14th century onwards, the artisans of Murano sold their products abroad.  They quickly gained a reputation for producing small glass beads and for mirrors which became a major Murano export during the course of the 15th century.  Within fifty years the island’s glasswork had lost much of it utilitarian character and had become a fully fledged art form. 

Because of the growing importance of the glass industry, its artisans had to submit to severe political restrictions in order to balance their very considerable privileges.  By contrast with the rest of Europe, Venice did not require a man to belong to a glassmaking family as a condition for learning the art. Any talented apprentice could rise, step by step, through the ranks to become a master glassmaker.  However, the glassmakers were forbidden to emigrate from Venice on pain of confiscation of all their worldly goods.   Nevertheless it is known that in the 16th century, several glassmakers did succeed in setting up factories in Northern Europe where they also flourished. 

Independent until 1924, Murano boasts a coat-of-arms which is a cock with a snake in its beak and a fox on its back, symbolizing surveillance, shrewdness and prudence.  Murano is currently home to approximately 6,000 Muranese residents.

The Art of Glass Making

The craft of the glass master has something miraculous about it.  Using a simple iron rod, the master takes a blob in incandescent glass paste from the pan which lies in the burning furnace.  The preparation of the glass is slow and the process changes according to the type of desired glass.  For a common glass the fusion must reach 1400/1600 degrees Celsius.  For crystals, instead of using calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate is used.  Lead, aluminum, zinc, barium, and carbon dioxide are added to increase stiffness and to help avoid having the glass becomes fragile with time.

The glass master has no model before him; only his skill and his imagination to help him. He puts the long tube to his mouth and with the energy of his lungs, the shimmering glass blob swells, curves, dilates and takes on the shape he desires.  A spatula, pinchers, and a pair of scissors, are some of the instruments that he uses to squash, flatten, cut, pull, curve, and twist.  Having patiently put the glass through a great many and variety of operations, the work of art comes out perfect from the hands of the master and is placed together with all the other works of the day in a long cooling gallery called the ara before it can leave the factory. 

The oldest and most authentic specimens of Murano glass which have come down to us date from the middle of the 15th century.  They consist of cups and glasses with large surfaces of glass in strong colors of ruby red, cobalt blue and emerald green.  Each was painted by the master with profane scenes, erotic incidents, portraits of married couples in gazes and the like.  The real glory of blown, transparent glass, the Venetian crystal came between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century.  The most beautiful blown glass of all was produced by the Murano factories in this period and is to be seen in public and private Italian and foreign collections as well as in the the paintings of Titian, Veronese and Bonifazio de’ Pitati. 

The old traditional family names of the Murano glass blowers, each with its own busy furnace revived, are as follows: