Millefiori, also known as ‘1000 flowers is a glass design characterized by a mosaic flowerlike pattern. The Millefiori technique is used to make pendants, beads, paperweights and other glass products. The most popular Millefiori item is a pendant

History of Millefiori Pendants

Millefiori Pendants are made using murrine, or slender, multicolored glass canes. Murrine are fused together to create Millefiori pendants. The use of murrine rods can be traded back to Ancient Rome, Phoenician and Alexandrine times though the Millefiori technique was developed in Murano, Italy in the 15th century.

The Millefiori technique was created by altering another glassmaking method. Until the 15th century, glassmakers were producing beads from Rosetta canes. Rosetta canes have a center hole. The technique involves layering six layers of glass (white, blue, white, brick red, white then blue) over a hollow cane creating patterns of 5 concentric stars with twelve points. Beads are created when Rosetta canes are chopped. Millefiori was born when glassmakers produced Rosetta using a cane with no hole. Millefiori is made using a seemingly endless amount of colors and layers.

Creating a Millefiori Pendant

To create a Millefiori pendant, glass rod is coated with layers of different colored glass. This creates the intricate Millefiori design. The rod is furnace heated to fuse the layers of glass. After re-heating, the rod is pulled very thin. The trick is to maintain the original Millefiori design. After cooling, the rod is sliced then placed in metal rings, creating the Millefiori pendant.

Creating a Millefiori pendant is an extensive process. Each Millefiori pendant is handmade one by one making every Millefiori pendant one of a kind. Millefiori pendants come in many styles and sizes. They’re beautiful!

Whichever Millefiori pendant you buy, you’re sure to love it!

Murano glass beads are arguably the most stunningly fabulous beads in the world. Considering the intricate designs, brilliant colors and careful craftsmanship of Murano glass beads, it’s no wonder the world loves Murano glass beads. Murano glass beads are gorgeous!

The creation of Murano glass beads is a labor of love. The most famous Murano glass beads are made one by one. With this method, colored cane is heated to a molten state and wrapped around a metal rod until the bead is formed. Several layers of colored glass are applied for the perfect effect. Finally, the glass bead is cooled and removed from the rod. Murano glass beads are crafted with the utmost care.

There are many different Murano glass beads. The most popular murano glass beads are Chevron, Wedding Cake, Millefiore and Venetian Foil. These designs boast widely different styles. Whereas a Murano Chevron bead is distinguished by red, white blue zig-zags, Murano glass Wedding Cake beads are decorated with intricate glass overlays featuring roses, swirls and dots. Murano Millefiore glass beads are vibrant and abstract while Venetian Foil beads are elegant and sophisticated, fusing vivid color with gold and silver foil.

Whichever Murano glass beads you choose, you can be sure it will be beautiful. Murano glass beads are always unique and crafted with the utmost care.

Pugster Inc. contributed custom made jewelry to celebrity gift bags at the NBC/Universal 2006 Pre-Emmy party hosted at the Beverly Hills Spago at 8PM

Pasadena, CA, August 26, 2006 — Pugster Inc., a fashion jewelry company, took part in the NBC/Universal’s Pre-Emmy Party for the 2006 Emmy Awards.  Pugster brand products were included and distributed to celebrity performers and presenters in the annual, nationally televised film event. The Italian charms and pendants that were featured at the event are all available on the Pugster web site at http://www.pugster.com/.

The Pre-Emmy party began at 8PM at Spago’s in Beverly Hills.  Although the party is a newcomer to the Emmy scene, it’s become the place to be the night before the Emmys according to Variety.  Attending the party was NBC head honchos and stars including winner Mariska Hargitay, nominee Glenn Close as well as Eric McCormack, Hugh Laurie, CCH Pounder, Zach Braff among other celebrities.

In recognition of excellence within the various television genres, the Emmy Awards are administered by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.  Over 12,000 members of the Academy cast a ballot in their field of expertise.  Emmy awards are a symbol of peer recognition.

Conan O’Brien hosted the 2006 Emmys.  Winners included Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Julia Louis Dreyfus of The New Adventures of Old Christine, Keifer Sutherland of 24, Tony Shalhoub of Monk, Jeremy Irons of Elizabeth I, Alan Alda of West Wing and Megan Mullally of Will & Grace.

About Pugster® Inc
Founded in 2002, Pugster is the number one online retailer of Italian charms at http://www.pugster.com/. Pugster (eBay ID: pugster888) continuously ranks as the number recipient of positive feedback on eBay with over 1.2 Million positive reviews since June 2004, according to Novato Technology.  Pugster also carries a full line of trendy fashion jewelry, including brooches, rings, pendants, watches, earrings, bracelets, and more.

For more information about Pugster Inc., visit http://www.pugster.com/.

Wanting to celebrate my birthday with a bang, I decided to spend two weeks in Italy this year. Italy is one of my favorite places in the world. With the pasta, wine, people, language, landscape and style how you a girl not love Italy? I had a wonderful trip!

As you may know, I love beading. I especially love beading with Murano glass beads. That said, I decided to visit the island of Murano, home of Murano glass beads. While there I visited a Murano glass factory where Murano glass beads are made.

I learned so much on my trip that I thought I’d write a little about the Murano glass beads I saw:

Murano Glass Lampwork Beads
Most Murano glass beads are made using the lampwork technique. Murano glass wedding cake beads, decorated with glass overlays and Murano glass Venetian foil beads are just two examples of this kind of bead.

The term millefiori will often pop up as you explore the world of Italian glass jewelry. This refers to a centuries-old technique used to create intricate patterns on glassware. The technique is said to date as far back as 16th century Egypt. Because of its kaleidoscopic appearance, its name comes from the Italian meaning “thousand flowers”.
Millefiori involves the production of glass canes, known as murrine. These canes are created by fusing thin slices of glass together over a glass rod. The rod is heated and stretched thin to be cut into smaller disc-shaped pieces. The discs go through another round of heating and cooling, finally to be buffed and polished into a small glass work of art. This is also one of the techniques used to make Murano glass jewelry.
Millefiori technique involves heating a bundle of thin glass, colorful rods until they fuse together. Once the colors have melted together the bundle is pulled thin and cooled. The glass is cut into small disk shaped pieces. These disks are then reheated and blown once more. This process results in strikingly colorful designs in glassware.