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How to Detect Fake Murano Glass

Murano, Venice is sometimes called the glass island, because it is the area of Italy where gifted craftsmen construct their famed Murano glass products. Glass goods have been made on the island of Murano since 1291, when the Venetian Republic demanded that construction of glass products be moved there, since many buildings on the main island of Venice were made of wood, and the fire associated with glass-working presented a danger. Murano glassmakers have developed highly refined processes that allow them to construct multicolored glass, glass with threads of gold, and enameled glass. These processes mean that Murano glass is often imitated.

Instructions

Detecting Fakes in Person
- 1
  Ask to see the holograph sticker which has a number on it, denoting the furnace the glass came from. Authentic Murano glass pieces have that sticker.
- 2
  Ask for a certificate of authenticity showing the date of production and artists' information
- 3
  Check for minuscule nicks in the surface or the glass. Real Murano glass will have no imperfections whatsoever.
Detecting Fakes Over the Internet
- 4
  Examine the seller's other products. If the seller is selling the same piece over and over again, they're surely fake. Murano artisans do not make the same piece over and over.
- 5
  Find out where the glass was made. Genuine Murano glass is made only in Murano, Italy. No exceptions,
- 6
  Check their shipping costs. Some sellers on the Internet will sell their products for $1 to $5 and make most of their profits in high shipping costs: $20 to $30.

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