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.

For many women, their jewelry collection is one of the most precious possessions that they own. Whether it consists of antique jewelry passed down from generation to generation, an engagement ring or even just a gift for yourself; all jewelry means something to someone. For that reason, it is important to keep it in a nice safe place. A stained glass jewelry box is an ideal place to keep your most precious jewelry. They are unique as each one is handmade and that means that no two will ever be completely the same. They are also stunningly beautiful. They give a modern, yet contemporary look at the same time and you can choose from a large range of designs.

As with most things, when you are shopping for a glass jewelry box you should take into account who the box is for. If you are buying for a teenager then the design preferred will obviously be different to that of an older person. Most young people love modern, colorful designs. A stained glass jewelry box with a butterfly on it for example would go down well with a teenager. They are typically slightly see through and many stained glass boxes tend to be quite small too. This makes them ideal for people who only have a small jewelry collection.

You also need to consider the type of jewelry that you want to keep in the box. Will you mainly be storing necklaces? If so then ideally you need something that will allow your necklaces to hang, rather than having to bunch them up in a small drawer compartment. This is especially true with fine necklaces as they can easily become tangled. If on the other hand you will mainly be keeping rings and bracelets in the box you should chosen one that has many different compartments. If you are shopping for an older person then the stained glass jewelry box that you should look into will have an elegant, classic design.