
7 Comments
Barbara
Well written and thought out. I am going to share this with others.
Rebecca
Thank you and Amen!!
Sharon
I've been going to Venice on business since the 1980s when I fell in love with the "real" Murano glass. The fact that you can now buy Chinese knockoffs just steps from San Marco breaks my heart. It takes just one look at the clarity and color; there's no comparison. What I love about what you do with your VBS is that you honor the mastery and beauty of the real deal. And you make Murano beads conveniently available without the plane ride. (Fortunately, enough of us purists know the difference to keep calling on VBS ... and to appreciate being served with such grace.) Thanks, Brenda, for being such a warrior!
Anne
I totally agree with all these sentiments. To step outside the mob, to be more discerning, to value the art, the heritage behind each beautiful bead, is not for everyone. But for us that do, the beauty and enjoyment, plus the hope that we are contributing , even in such a small individual way, to the endurance of such a unique art form and heritage, warms my heart and brings pleasure to me and those who have bought my designs. Thank you Brenda and crew!
Janet
This was a very interesting article and those of us reading are already aware of the value of the REAL Murano beads rather then Chinese knockoffs. It takes the same amount of time to create a piece of jewelry no matter which bead you use but my time has value so why waste it with junk materials. Years ago I was approached by a national organization to donate a piece for their silent auction fundraiser. I created a piece with Murano beads (necklace with matching earrings) and Sterling Silver chain-the label listed the materials used and a retail price. When I delivered it to the person handling the collection of auction items-her response was "Oh YOU made it"...she considered it homemade not hand crafted. It wasn't a batch of cookies and they never got another piece from me again!! Your customers appreciate the care you put into providing these gorgeous pieces of art, so that we in turn can create our own pieces of art :-) We also enjoy your blog entries!!
Joan D
That's what is all about! Couldn't agree more.
Debra
I'm late to the party (but just discovered your blog), but YES! Thanks for sharing this with us and it is so the truth. Unfortunately, Americans have been fed the diet of "cheaper! cheaper!" for so long now that most look at the price before anything else, and they really can't tell the difference between a real Murano glass bead and a Chinese knockoff. I agree with Janet above - my time and effort is worth something, so I only use quality materials. If you wish to buy one of my pieces and you understand that and are willing to pay for that quality, then you are my customer. If you can't tell the difference and say to me - "But I can buy this at Kohl's for ...", by all means, go to Kohl's. I get it - most people aren't into glass the way I am, but if you look at the beads that I use and want to be educated, I'm happy to talk about it! I'm glad that there are others out there who appreciate this art form and Thanks for this blog!