About

The Beadvine is an ecommerce enterprise founded by jewellery designer Emma Lavery, dedicated to bringing the harmony and hues of La Serenissima, direct to you, in the shape of beautiful handcrafted Mruano Glass Beads.

As importers of genuine Venetian beads, we travel to Venice to meet with our bead makers personally to select our collections. With a boundless enthusiasm for not only the traditional Venetian foil beads, but also the more unique modern styles, we are always trying to introduce something different to our range. 

We also carry a stunning range of Preciosa Crystals, Toho Seed Beads and Freshwater Pearls, to complement our selection of Venetian Beads. As we continue to grow our business, we pride ourselves on the outstanding quality and craftsmanship of our products, and strive to offer these exquisite beads at the most competitive prices, whilst nurturing a lasting relationship with our customers through excellent service.

Venetian Bead Overview

Often known as the Jewels of Venice, these unique and unmatched precious pearls of glass are entirely handmade and decorated according to the age old traditions passed down through generations. Produced primarily by a female workforce, the lampwork beads or “perla a lume” are formed individually over an open flame, by skillfully winding glass canes (softened to the point where it can be molded by special tools) around a tiny copper mandrel. Once the bead is formed, it is left to cool in vermiculite, and then placed in kiln to further the annealing process. The copper wire is trimmed, and then dissolved out of the bead using nitric acid, leaving a crystal clean hole.

The incredibly vibrant colours of Venetian beads are distinctive like no other beads in the world, often with their pure gold or silver core or “soul” shinning through; still others feature kaleidoscopic “murrina” and sparkling aventurina. Since all the beads are crafted by hand, no two items are ever identical. This adds to the originality and uniqueness, providing a mystique which after all, the Venetians are famous for…