| hose not familiar with the beautiful designs of | | | | earrings or bracelet. |
| Millefiori jewelry, this introduction is likely to begin a | | | | These Millefiori designs often feature random |
| life long appreciation for this beautiful jewelry | | | | patterns of the murrine slices rather than all one |
| style. | | | | pattern. It is also common to use silver or gold |
| The term Millefiori literally translated from Italian | | | | beads between the Millefiori beads or discs to add |
| means "thousand flowers" and the jewelry is so | | | | a touch of elegance and gleam to the finished |
| named for the painstaking precision and detail, not | | | | jewelry piece. |
| to mention the pattern that defines this style. | | | | Keep in mind that each Millefiori bead is made by |
| Millefiori beads and jewelry are made from hand | | | | hand, with the artisan working with the very hot |
| crafted glass canes or rods known as murrine, | | | | glass beads and adding those ultra thin strips of |
| which are very plain on the outside but when | | | | murrine to the surface, then heating and |
| sliced expose a pattern that appears like a flower, | | | | smoothing to cover the complete bead and make |
| star, geometric design or other detailed pattern. | | | | a pattern. When looking at these beads it is |
| Artisans create these canes by heating and | | | | almost impossible to understand the amount of |
| melting together thin rods of different colored | | | | skill and craftsmanship that goes into each unique |
| glass to make an internal pattern. To create | | | | bead or piece of jewelry, creating a truly one of |
| beads very, very thin vertical slices of the | | | | a kind item with each crafting. |
| murrine are then applied to glass beads while they | | | | Millefiori beads and jewelry items tend to be very |
| are still hot, allowing the murrine slices with the | | | | brightly colored in various shades of yellows, |
| patterns to be pressed into the surface of the | | | | oranges, blues, pinks, reds and purples. White and |
| bead. These slices of murrine can also be applied | | | | black as well as some metallic highlights are used |
| to any other type of glass surface to create | | | | to add detail and to really make the tiny flowers |
| beautiful pendants, bracelets, rings and other | | | | and patterns stand out. Common shapes in |
| pieces of jewelry and artwork. | | | | Millefiori jewelry and beads include ovals, circles, |
| Disc style necklaces and bracelets can also be | | | | squares, hearts, crosses and rectangles all with |
| made using various thicknesses of murrine slices. | | | | the floral and geometric patterns. Often the |
| Instead of being drilled through from top to | | | | shapes are then set in silver or gold to create the |
| bottom (the patterned sides), the discs are drilled | | | | rings, bracelets, earrings and pendants that are in |
| through the sides and strung on a wire or cord to | | | | high demand around the world. |
| create a strikingly patterned necklace, set of | | | | |