Murano Glass Chandeliers

Hey, guys I am big fan of chandeliers, mainly Murano glass chandeliers. Lot of people interested in these Murano chandeliers but have very little idea what they are. So I have decided to put together a FAQ from the common questions that people have.

1.       Is Murano glass a type of special glass?

Well, generally people think that this must be technical term describing some type of a specially prepared glass or a glass with special properties. Well actually the word Murano come from the Murano Island that is situated in the Venice lagoon in Italy.

2.       So it is not special?

Yes, it is special glass. Although the name comes from a place, the glassmakers of Murano has perfected numerous glassmaking techniques that were for a long time only available in Murano, making Murano glass a unique product. These days those still working in Murano use the same time tested methods.

3.       Are there glassmakers still in Murano?

Yes, there are although Murano is no longer a monopoly in glassmaking. Murano residents carry out glassmaking using traditional methods. They still make beautiful chandeliers, glassware, vases etc…Lot of modern designs are being made, but there is also a large industry on art glass and traditional design, especially aimed towards antique lovers and collectors.

4.       What are different types of chandeliers?

Well, the most well known is the glass chandeliers also known as crystal chandeliers. But there are numerous other types, including wrought iron chandeliers, brass chandeliers, and sliver chandeliers. Some of them are more common than others. Murano does not make all these they are specialized in glass chandeliers.

5.       What is uniqueness of glass chandeliers?

Glass was not used in making chandeliers in the early days; wood was the standard material of chandeliers. Then later on they began to use metal especially iron as the base material. Glass was first used when glassmaking became cheap in the 18^th century. The single most important factor was that glass has very good reflective properties. Which means a glass chandelier can be made to give different shades and shapes of light. It is much easier to control luminance by using glass (think of using mirrors to get light to fall where you want). While any chandelier would do to act as a bulb holder glass chandelier had this capability to make chandeliers more artistic.

6.       Aren’t chandeliers old fashion?

No not at all, although chandeliers design peaked in 19^th century. There has been a considerable revival of the chandelier interest. This can be divided in to two parts. There are those looking for traditional chandeliers, trying to bring the antiquity grandeur in to their homes. Others are looking to design and use much more modern chandeliers .Also notice that simpler designs are winning the day especially homemade chandeliers. I hope we see homemade Murano glass chandeliers soon to.