Vanilla Jewellery, Contemporary Handmade, silver, Necklaces, Bracelets, Earrings
Swarovski Crystals
Daniel Swarovski, was born in 1862 to a glass cutter in North Bohemia (now known as the Czech Republic). He patented an electric cutting machine that revolutionised the process of lead crystal cutting. In 1895 the Swarovski company was founded and established a crystal cutting factory building in Wattens, Tyrol which gave him better access to local hydroelectricity, and also prevented his competitors from stealing his inventions.Swarovski crystal contains approximately 32% lead to maximize refraction. In order to create a crystal that allows light to refract in a rainbow spectrum, Swarovski coats some of its crystals with special metallic chemical coatings. Aurora Borealis, or "AB", is one of the most popular coatings, and gives the surface a rainbow oil slick appearance. The technique was developed in 1956 in collaboration with fashion designer Christian Dior.
Murano Glass
Murano Glass has been a famous product of the Venetian island of Murano for centuries. Located off the shore of Venice in Italy, Murano was a commercial port as far back as the 7th century. By the 10th century it had become a well-known city of trade. Today Murano remains a destination for tourists and art and jewellery lovers alike.Murano’s reputation as a centre for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and destruction to the city’s mostly wood buildings, ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano glass is still interwoven with Venetian glass.
Murano’s glassmakers held a monopoly on quality glassmaking for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enamelled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicoloured glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano are still employing these century-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass jewellery to Murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers.
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 when the glass is soft before it hardens completely. This is when the glass-master can shape the material.
Czech Fire Polish Glass
Glass making in the Czech Republic is an age old cottage industry. These beads are still made in small quantities by hand. Due to the way the glass is made, there may be slight color variation from one batch to the next.
Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater Pearls are a kind of pearl that comes from freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan and the United States on a limited scale, but are now almost exclusive to China
