Venetian jewelry steeped in history and is an item of everlasting beauty. These jewelry items made from glass beads are incomparable to any of those made anywhere in the world. The 16th century was known as the golden age for Venetian glass. The art of bead making also flourished. There was a major boom in the Venetian glass bead production boomed throughout the Renaissance era, as the demand for luxury goods increased.

In fact, the foundations for Venetian glass bead production were laid before 1500 AD. At this time the Venetians were a dominant force in the art of glass making. In order to keep their art a closely guarded secret, all glass production factories where moved to the island of Murano. New techniques were developed for the highly acclaimed Venetian glass beads. By the 18th Century, 44000 pounds of Venetian glass beads were being produced each week and exported around the world. Still highly prized and respected today, Venetian glass beads are handmade of the highest quality have an excellent reputation.

Venetian glass bead were made with a new technique involving molds. This technique simplified the process of creating detailed and intricate beads for mass consumption, while still retaining the hand crafted quality that built their reputation.

The most popular types of beads invented by them were:

1. Glass seed—these were created by the Venetian glass bead industry and were initially small, opaque and round. They were used to decorate clothing and make necklaces, in addition to hair combs and earrings. The production of glass seed beads today is dominated by Japanese and Czech distributors. They offer a much larger selection of sizes, colors and cuts than has ever before been available on the market.
2. Chevron—there were strict laws protecting the secret production technique of the chevron Venetian glass beads. Also called Rosetta or star beads, they involve the fusion of many thin glass rods together to create patterns, most commonly stars.
3. Mosaic--The Venetian glass beads that use the mosaic technique are similar to the technique that made the millefiori beads. Rods of thin glass are grouped together to create patterns. They are then fused together in high heat and individual beads are formed. Each bead is a slice of the original molten glass. Millefiori beads take these pieces and melt many of them onto another bead to create a slightly different effect.

There is an almost endless selection of Venetian jewelry on the market to choose from. There are bracelets that shimmer and sparkle, earrings that are perfect for all occasions, chandelier earrings and dangle earrings made with Venetian beads that drip with elegance and femininity. Selections of colorful right hand rings, solitaire rings, cluster rings, eternity rings, cocktail and dinner rings will all inspire you.

A lot of Venetian jewelry pieces are Designer Inspired. Top designers are using Venetian beads in every imaginable way for adornment. One can find great Venetian earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings for brides, bridesmaids and bridal parties. Brides can choose from a wide selection of specially designed bridal Venetian Jewelry for the special wedding day.