Murano, a small island to the north of Venice, has been the center of the Venetian glass industry since 1291 when the Venetian Republic ordered the glassmakers to move their factories and workshops to this island. Murano glasswork has been renowned for centuries for its craftsmanship, styles and color. Murano glassmaking techniques and the consummate skill of its artisans – found their way into glass jewelry making.

The creation of Murano jewelry begins with the manufacture of colored glass canes, an activity which is a significant challenge to any glassmaker since the chemical compounds involved in making colored glass are extremely sensitive and must be mixed with unerring accuracy. Aquamarine, for example, is achieved through the fusion of cobalt and copper during the manufacturing process; ruby red, on the other hand, requires a gold solution as a coloring agent for the glass. Other materials are used to create the different colors used in Murano jewelry.

Also known as the torch and mandrel technique, lampworking is one such technique which has been in use since the 1700s. Under this method, Murano glass tubes and canes are heated until they reach a molten or near-liquid state and wrapped around a metal rod until the desired shape is achieved. This is supplemented by the application of several layers of colored glass as well as gold or silver leaf, applied carefully in order to achieve the effect the artisan wants. The bead is then slowly cooled and removed from the rod, leaving a hole in the bead which is used for stringing it.

Murano is also known for Chevron or Rosetta beads which are created from a hollow glass cane and six layers of glass in different colors that have been defined since the 14th century – white, blue, white, brick red, white and finally, blue. After the colors have been layered, the beads are milled to produce a pattern consisting of 5 concentric, 12-pointed stars. The canes are then chopped into beads marked by a red, white and blue pattern.

Today’s jewelry is so vast in variety that a person can find almost any type of jewelry they can imagine. There are many types of materials used today to make jewelry, gone are the days of silver and gold being the only options in beautiful accessories. Although gold, silver, and diamonds remain to be the most expensive and beautiful jewelry, many people are opting to try different less expensive materials. The beauty remains the same as more expensive jewelry making it easy to find many pieces of jewelry in your price range.

Younger generations tend to wear more flashy jewelry than more mature adults. Adding a variety of jewels and chains to wear at once is the popular dress code as far as jewelry goes for younger people. As jewelry became less expensive by changing the materials to make it, more teenagers were able to afford buying it. Bangle type bracelets and flashy dangling earrings are also popular among the younger generation. With a style that is hard to imitate teenagers tend to wear more jewelry today then even twenty or so years ago.

Adults tend to stick to wearing more simple conservative jewelry than the flashy jewelry popular among teens. Men and women alike enjoy the variety found in jewelry today. Men generally wear simple chain necklaces and bracelets. Rings men wear are simple and are mostly wedding bands. Watches are another popular kind of jewelry among men, from gold and silver to leather strapped.

Women are more creative when it comes to jewelry. A woman tends to know which type of jewelry will help her to look close to her age, though in some ways can be similar to teens jewelry. With more materials like platinum and aluminum women have many choice when they shop for jewelry.

A trend popular lately is to make your own jewelry. With a few tools and any type of material you prefer a person can make quality necklaces and bracelets. Jewel like beads are especially popular for adult women learning to make their own jewelry. Wearing a piece of handmade jewelry can bring a stunning effect to any outfit.

The best part of the newer materials of jewelry that is less expensive is the fact that the metals or colors do not turn your skin colors. The old kind of jewelry would change colors, as jewelry got older, often times leaving colored marks on your skin unless it was real. Most people are happy that the costume jewelry doesn’t have to cost a lot to be beautiful.