Glass jewelry comes in various shapes and techniques, including lampworking and millefiori, which date back to ancient Italy. Sea glass and dichronic glass are also popular materials used in jewelry making. Glass jewelry tends to be more expensive but looks more elegant than plastic jewelry and can be used to accent gemstones.
Glass jewelry can be shaped in many different ways. Everything is made of glass, but each technique forms a distinctly different look on earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Glass jewelry making is believed to date back to the early 9th century in Italy, when beads were traded from Rome and Venice to neighboring countries. The ancient Italian decorative glass techniques of millefiori and lampworking are still used in fashion jewelry designs today.
Millefiori and Murano glass jewelry is often defined as Murano after the Italian city of the same name where the techniques were perfected. Lampwork is the technique of heating rods and applying molten glass to them. Many different textures and patterns can be created; Lampwork beads are especially popular types of glass beads for jewelry making. A torch is used to melt the glass, while hand tools are applied to twist and shape the molten material into different layers. Lampwork beads often feature tiny glass dots on detailed, multi-colored patterns.
Millefiori means “thousand flowers” in Italian. This glass-making technique also has small details with many colors and patterns. However, the process of making millefiori glass jewelry is very different from working with lamps. Each lampwork bead is individually shaped on a torch, while millefiori beads are cut from a coil of heated glass rods. The millefiori artist combines different colors and sizes of glass rods before heating them to create a fused piece. The fused roll is cut into many beads.
In contrast to the highly detailed, multicolored Italian glass beads used to make necklaces, bracelets and earrings, there are many types of solid colored glass bead jewelry available. For example, sea glass is naturally made by the ocean. Collectors comb the beaches and jewelry makers turn it into wearable art. The glass that ends up in the ocean is thrown up by the water and the sand; This process creates a type of frosted surface and smooth edges. Green, amber, and clear are most often seen in sea glass jewelry, but other colors are possible.
Dichronic glass is often used by jewelry designers. This type of glass features colored layers of metal oxide that create a crystal clear finish. Dichronic coated glass jewelry is often seen in very unique and large pendants that look almost like ceramic, but have even more color tones.
Glass jewelry styles tend to be at least a little more expensive than plastic types. However, glass jewelry generally looks much more elegant than plastic jewelry. Glass beads can be used to accent gemstones, while plastic pieces generally don’t mix well with gemstones. A statement glass pendant, earrings or bracelet can create a personal fashion statement in a simple outfit.
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