10% off Murano glass jewellery for Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is just around the corner! Can you believe it! 


I cannot believe how quick the months are passing by. The quote "Time flies" is very apt in my life at the moment!


So for all the last minute shoppers, like myself, you are probably wrecking your brains on the perfect gift for your mother. Well, look no further than DeVigniDesigns! Which mother would not love a piece of jewellery, especially if it is Murano glass imported directly from the island, Murano, off the Venetian Lagoon in Italy.


Take advantage of this special offer which is valid until the 4th May 2012 and while stocks last. Don't miss out on this great offer!

Murano Glass Heart Pendant 30x30x10mm

with cotton cord (50cm), entirely handmade 

by Murano Master glassmaker with the 

"lampwork" technique"

Cost: ZAR130.00 each

  

18mm Murano Glass Millefiori Pendant

Pendant only, Sterling Silver 925/000 rim 

& clasp, 18mm in diameter

Cost: ZAR132.00 each

23mm Murano Glass Millefiori Pendant

Pendant only, Sterling Silver 925/000 rim 

& clasp, 23mm in diameter

Cost: ZAR173.00 each

26mm Murano Glass Millefiori Pendant

Pendant only, Sterling Silver 925/000 rim 

& clasp, 26mm in diameter

Cost: ZAR190.00 each

32mm Murano Glass Millefiori Pendant

Pendant only, Sterling Silver 925/000 rim 

& clasp, 32mm in diameter

Cost: ZAR223.00 each

The offer is valid until the 4th May 2012 and while stocks last. Don't miss out on this great offer!

Murano Glass perfume bottles

In ancient times perfume was exclusively used by the upper class and the rich.  


Nowadays most women have an extensive collection of perfumes and fragrances. Perfume has become an essential part of our lives, so that many of us women, will not step out of the house without first dabbing a few drops of our favorite scent.

It has been documented that a great deal of aesthetic imagination and thought was put into the manufacturing of the perfume containers. This has evolved into an art and perfume can be found in containers from the simplest to the most intricately designed bottles. Glass bottles are the main storage containers for perfume.

Seguso Murano amber sommerso
art glass perfume bottle

Here are a few Murano Glass perfume bottles that are very eye catching. A few of these Murano Glass bottles will beautify your dressing table quite nicely.

Murano Glass Perfume Bottles
in shades of Fall

Hand Decorated Murano Glass
Spray Perfume Bottles

Hand Decorated Murano Glass
Murrina-Capped Perfume

Handmade Murano Glass perfume bottle

Murano Glass Perfume Bottle - Lapis and Gold

Murano Glass Round Perfume Bottle Aqua

Murano glass perfume bottle

Murrina perfume bottles

Tall Murano Glass Perfume
Bottle with Atomizer

Murano glass clocks

8 Ball Swirl Neon Wall clock

You cannot help but admire the Murano glass artisans. Their artistic ability as well as their ability to manipulate glass into various shapes and objects is amazing. They have made an international name for themselves by fine tuning their trade and producing beautiful and innovative pieces. 

Millefiori Murano Glass Alarm Clock

I have come across these wall and table top clocks that are quite innovative. They each tell their own story through color and design. 

Murano Glass Blue Mosaic Wall Clock

 

Cufflinks are making a comeback!

The cufflink has grown into a popular fashion statement for both men and women. Nowadays, cufflinks can be found in any shape, color or style. From glass, silver, gold, fabric, metals, etc.; cufflinks are making a big comeback with reckless abandon!








Cufflinks can be an elegant addition to a formal outfit or a funky addition to casual wear for both men and women. This is a far cry from the first cufflinks used by royalty in ancient Egypt and early Renaissance periods about 800 years ago. 






Glass buttons appeared in the late 17th century as a gaudier but lower-cost alternative to diamonds. The English fashion spread to France, where it became popular amoung the nobility. In 1788, the first known record of the word "cufflink" appeared.








During the nineteenth century, businessmen of varying classes began wearing cufflinks for a more casual wear, expanding beyond the traditional gala or evening event.  Prices came down and cuff links were now affordable to the average middle-class gentleman.





In the late twentieth century, the cufflinks industry had a low period when shirt manufacturers began mass-producing dress and tuxedo shirts with buttons on the cuffs.  But that didn't discourage the big jewelry companies from producing cufflinks.  Cufflinks and stud sets were here to stay. 


 

Venetian/Murano Millefiori Art Jewelry

The most famous Venetian/Murano beads are the Millefiori, which translated from Italian means "thousand flowers". Each bead is handmade under the flame using the world famous Murano glass canes or rods. After two thousand years the same technique is used by the Master artisans. 

The Master artisans patiently assemble numerous Venetian/Murano glass beads, which are then fused in the furnace, to recreate amazing colors, patterns and transparent clarities of the ancient workmanship. 

Below are a few examples of Millefiori pendants that can be viewed and purchased on my website DeVigniDesigns.

Millefiori

Millefiori (thousand flowers) is the technique of stretching and shaping multi-coloured rods. Normally colours are added and a shape is introduced, then the molten glass is stretched until it produces a long thin cane of glass. 

This can be cut and used as beads 

or, for example, in the production of murrina jewelry.

 

The art of creating Murano Glass

The process of making Murano glass is rather complex. Most Murano glass art is made using the lampworking technique. The glass is made from silica, which becomes liquid at high temperatures. As the glass passes from a liquid to a solid state, there is an interval wherein the glass is soft before it hardens completely, allowing the artisan to shape the material.