Some of the most beautiful beads in the world come from the island of Murano. Here is a little bit of information about beads from Murano, often also called Venetian beads:

Color: The process of Murano bead-making begins with the production of color canes, a task which presents a glass maker with a significant challenge. The chemical compounds involved in colored glass are extremely sensitive so they must be mixed with complete accuracy. Aquamarine is created through the use of copper and cobalt and ruby red is achieved through the use of a gold solution as a coloring agent. Other materials are used to create the other colors used in the manufacture of Murano’s famous beads.

Chevron Beads: The chevron bead is made from a hollow cane composed of six layers of glass (white, blue, white, red, white, blue), which are shaped to present five concentric twelve pointed stars when sectioned. The canes are cut into small cylinders which are then polished by hand using a wet abrasive wheel. The bead takes on the oval form revealing its inner pattern.
 
Millefiori Beads: One of the most beautiful beads is the millefiori, which means a thousand flowers. The bead starts with a layer of glass and is then covered with murrine, which are slices from a millefiori rod. A flame then softens the murrine and they meld together. The bead is then molded into the desired shape and polished to obtain perfectly shiny beads.
 
Fiorato Beads: This is a glass bead with flower decorations. After a ball of glass is formed in the desired color, a central strip and tiny ‘threads’ of glass aventurina are added to the bead. Decoration of this flower bead continues with ‘threads’ and spots of both aventurina and other colors. Finally to complete the bead, the bead maker uses ‘threads’ of white and pink to make small roses.
 
Sommerso Beads: The sommerso bead is captivating as it contains gold or silver leaf in its middle. Sommerso, meaning colors within layers of glass, begins with a small piece of glass wound around the copper wire. Next the gold or silver leaf is applied to the hot glass and completely covered with another layer of transparent glass. The bead is then shaped and the layers of glass and foil produce a beautifully striking bead with a distinct metallic look.
 
Blown Glass Beads: Blown glass beads are what many people think of when Murano beads are mentioned. They are very fragile, but equally spectacular. The glassmaker gathers a small piece of molten glass on the end of a blowpipe and gently inflates it to the desired size and shape. Other colors or fine lines of gold may be placed across the surface of the bead and twisted to create beautiful swirls. As a last step, each bead is carefully pierced to create a hole for stringing.