I've made suspension beads myself by drilling a hole in the side of a bead. Here is an example using a brass bead.
I have on occasion seen Venetian glass beads with side holes and assumed the purpose was to suspend something.
Even if your beads are venetian, the chinese make and use beads with T- perforations for their buddhist-style prayer beads at the ends where a tassel is attached.
Even if your beads are venetian, the chinese make and use beads with T- perforations for their buddhist-style prayer beads at the ends where a tassel is attached.
Which begs the question, how do you tell real venetian beads from Chinese knock offs? I am traveling to Venice soon and have seen enough cautions about the Chinese knockoffs but am clueless on how to avoid those and locate real ones. Very excited about the Murano visit, especially as i am reading Panini’s “world in a bead”. Thanks due to whomever it was that recommended the book a ways back (I forgetwho it was).
Two suggestions:
1) significant in-person of study of Venetian beads, both old & new, and even then, mistakes can be made.
2) purchasing from reputable dealers only.
For #2, in Venice I recommend Paropamiso for antique Venetian beads. Check out the location (not far off St. Mark Square) at paropamiso.net. Around St. Mark Square, there are rather expensive tourist shops selling all sorts of beads - and the ones with beads made in Venice should be prominently displaying that fact. On side streets in the same general vicinity, the prices may be a little lower.
For new beads, check very carefully about the claims of Made in Venice. If you go to the Island of Murano, you can wander around the shops where the glass artists are in residence and can see some of them making things right in the back of the store. Giorgio Bruno's work is gorgeous, but I don't recall if he made beads - I bought a figurine.
Expect to pay considerably more for glass items and beads made in Venice. When you find a "deal", you are finding beads made in India & China, sorry to say.
Good luck and have a nice trip!
Once upon a time I had one of these striped black beads with a similar large hole in the side, but with smooth edges that resembled a worn gas bubble or manufacturing flaw, because the stripes bent around it.
??
I agree. Blown out air bubbles are more common then you might think
See ya at the FORUM
Actually, I don't, because it could spread to all my beads!
I think the gas hole makes the most sense, especially because the hole isn't centered.
And I didn't even notice how the glass itself was affected by the hole until you all pointed it out to me.
Thank you all for your thoughts, my bead is very happy to have all the attention! (Yes I tried to tend to anthropomorphize my possessions!)
