When searching for a luxury light fixture, looking into a Murano Glass piece is a good place to start. Perhaps most expensive type of glass product you can find, Murano Glass offers distinctive designs of hand-crafted glass. It is a product that’s long history is traced back the Venetian island of Murano where glassmakers were renowned for their quality and technique. For centuries artisans of Murano have been at the forefront of glassmaking methods, making glass from the area a brand in a class of its own.

The Murano method uses a technique where the glass materials are heated with a torch until it is in a liquid state. From this state, as the material cools it becomes malleable for the glassmaker to shape it. The craft of using a torch to heat the glass differs from tradition glass blowing which utilizes a furnace. A silicate glass is used to make the glass which consists of sodium oxide, a compound that slows down the solidifying of the glass. This enables the glassmaker more time to craft the product. Techniques and materials vary by glassmaker and product with different materials used to achieve different colors and finish.

Murano Glass can be formed into numerous different items like beads, jewelry, sculptures, lamps, light shades and chandeliers. Because the varying colors and technique of the method, some very intricate designs can be created. Chandeliers are often a popular Murano Glass product because the glass is hand crafted and no two pieces will be exactly same. The slight inconsistency from the artistry is what makes owning a Murano Glass chandelier appealing to buyers looking to own a truly unique product. Other Murano products are sought out for the same reason by collectors. It is a custom-made product offering unique and luxury design. There are still individual artists and Murano Glass factories that function today from the product’s island of origin, as well as many factories that have relocated but still hold the historical recognition of the Murano brand. When purchasing Murano Glass fixtures, it is important to verify you are buying authentic glass because there are impersonators that make glass in the Murano style. Costs of imitators can be much lower because of the quality of product and the cost of labor. When it comes to buying Murano Glass products, you are not just paying for quality craftsmanship but for name recognition and the quality reputation it has preserved over centuries.