Since I became interested in the buying and selling of handmade jewelry pieces I decided to see if I could get more information on what Murano glass and Alpaca silver really were. Here is what I have found so far.

Murano glass is actually Venetian glass. Venetian glass originally being made in Venice Italy. Towards the end of the 13th century the Venetian artists moved their production of the glass to the island of Murano. Over time the production has moved all across the globe but the processes remain very much the same. With this in mind only glass made in Murano should be called Murano glass. Other glass types included with this are; smalto - an enameled glass, aventurine -  a glass with gold threads, lattimo - milk glass, and millefiori - a multicolored glass with flower patterns. Millefiori is now also made in hardened clay.

The glass itself is made from silica which becomes liquid at high temperatures. The time interval between the liquid and solid state is when the glass can be formed into shape. Silica is the most common constituent of sand. The composition can be made up of fragments of limestone, coral, magnetite, obsidian, quartz crystal, garnet, chlorite-glauconite and many others. Different compounds used in the making of the glass give the different colorations.

 Alpaca silver is also called Nickel silver or German silver. It is a metal alloy of copper and nickel and sometimes, but not always, contains zinc. This alloy does not rust or tarnish. Alloys that contain a high proportion of zinc are considered "stainless". Nickel silver was first known in China where it was used to imitate sterling silver. In 1823 the alloy process was perfected and ALPACCA became a widely known name and trademark brand by the manufacturer Berndorf. It began being used to much more extent in the 1840's for its strength and brightness. Alpaca silver does not contain actual silver and should not be cleaned with silver cleaning products. Mild soap and water are the best. Although it is not a "real silver" it is very durable, light weight and shines brightly. Nickel can cause allergic reactions in some people. If you have nickel allergies, as I do, wearing of alpaca earrings is still possible. I have found that the replacement of the actual ear hook is very easy and affordable. If you need more information on obtaining nickel free ear hooks please contact me.  P.S. I don't sell the ear hooks myself.

Pictures of earrings made from Murano glass and Alpaca silver: