6 Essential Tips to Identify a Murano Glass Before You Buy

The art of Murano glass (Italian: Murano vetro) is famous all over the world and is subject to numerous scams, fakes and counterfeiting, often found in shops, art galleries and websites where unsold items are passed off as Murano glass, causing major damage to the artistic production of Murano and the enthusiasts who believe in buying a unique product of immense value; instead they get a common glass object often produced industrially or in low-cost countries such as eastern Europe or China. How can you identify a genuine Italian Murano glass object?

Before you buy a Murano glass vase, sculpture or necklace, be aware of the following 6 points:

1. The Murano glass excites you! Each original Murano glass item is a unique handmade item.

This means you cannot have an industrial production that produces each item identical to each other. Each item has usually some small differences from the others. If you have a sensible eye, you can recognise them, or ask the producer to show you. Look at the vividness of colours. Few Murano glass items are transparent; usually they are coloured, bright coloured. Look at the natural traits of the glass and you will discover the hidden hand of the master. This is really emotional and true. Sometimes the craftsman needs to use a mould, but you will see that each final product has some differences that make it unique. It depends on, for example, on the mix of coloured glass the master uses for each item.

2. Pay attention to the final selling price of the product!

The characteristics of Murano glass are based on the quality of the decorations: gold leaf, silver leaf, platinum, alexandrite, agate, and so on. These materials have a well-defined cost and should be applied with special techniques. So if an object has a very low price compared to others (especially Murano glass jewellery gifts and souvenirs), it is unlikely to be made with materials and techniques of the original culture of Murano. In most cases, if the prices are low, maybe false decorations are used in imitation of the original ones.

3. Request a certificate of origin!

The item should have a certificate of origin, or the “Consorzio Promovetro” certificate, or the craftsman certificate or sign. Ask the seller if the item has a one of these certificates, to be sure it is really made in Murano, according to the Murano working techniques and traditions. The Murano Craftsman Consortium (“Promovetro”) has created the only official Murano trademark Vetro Artistico® Murano, legally recognize and issued by the Veneto Region which certifies its origin. Each certified item has a unique code number and a warranty. But not all the craftsmen join this Consortium. So many times you will find only the artist certificate. This can also happen for the oldest items, created before the making of the trademark. Typically, the manufacturer of the product accompanies the object with a certified document with describes the origin and all the important information to ensure its validity. However, beware of fake certificates and stickers applied.

4. Check if the work is signed by the artist!

Look if the item has the artist sign. Often, even if not ever, the glass is signed by the artist with an engraving diamond tip. Ask the seller if you don’t see any sign on the glass. An item signed by the artist is really more precious, if you will need to resell it. Always ask the seller for information about the artist and verify the sign with other items of the same artist. Consulting the web is always helpful. Unfortunately, the sign can also be adulterate. The sign is not a 100% protection for the buyer. Note that Murano glass mirrors , goblets, and chandeliers are usually not singed.

5. Pay attention to the techniques used!

A good practice when you are buying a Murano glass item is asking the seller for specific techniques used. A good seller knows every detail about the items, and he/she can describe the ways the artist has used to create them. Some of the most used techniques are Avventurina, Balotton, Bullicante, Cased Glass, cold glass cut, Fenicio, Filigrana, Half filigree, Reticello, Glass tesserae, Gold/Silver Leaf, Iceglass, Incalmo, Iridescence, Macette–Spots, Pulegoso, Rigadin, Sommerso and so on.

6. Check the feedback online!

Last but not least, search for feedback. Look for online reviews of the seller. Use the Internet to discover the reputation of the seller, artist, item, and so on. Over the Internet, you can find the opinions of other buyers and their experiences. Compare them to be sure of what you are going to buy. Especially for high-priced items, you should take your time to research and then decide. You are buying an art, so be careful. You can also contact the team of OriginalMuranoGlass.com to get a Murano vetro quote.

Read all? Well, hope we have helped you to identify an original Murano glass vase, sculpture, mirror or anything else. And hope you will have your great Italian Murano glass experience! Feel free to add your experiences and suggestions by commenting on this post.