The rise of glass as a material in jewellery manufacture can perhaps be attributed to the famous French Master, Lalique. Lalique worked magic with class and his creations are world famous and extremely sought after. Lalique was also involved with the designer Nina Ricci and inspired many designs of her older perfume bottles. As well as using glass for decorative purposes and housewares, handmade glass jewellery has always been a popular choice.

This can be seen in Murano, in Italy, where Venetian glass is a leading force in the glassware and jewellery industry. Stunning pendants are produced here, as are other types of jewellery such as exquisite earrings and bracelets. Glass can be quite a versatile material to work with and it is easy
to introduce beautiful colours and effects into glass to enhance their appearance and make them more appealing.

A lot of smaller designers are now realising the appeal of working with glass and so many more glass jewellery items are coming on the market. One of the most popular types of jewellery to be manufactured from glass is the bead. The scope for producing glass beads is fantastic, as no two beads are exactly the same. This means that every handmade piece is unique in itself. Glass designs can also be set with gemstones to really add value and sparkle to the jewellery. The combinations are endless and the only restraint is the designers’ imagination! The metal that you choose to combine with your glass jewellery depends on the colour of the glass, whether it is warm or cool.