"Wedding Cakes": Venetian Fiorato Beads

Venetian Glass Beads

I recently received a collection of beautiful old glass beads from an estate with instructions to sell them, and the inquiry into their history has been a fascinating journey for me.  It seems the acquisition of them involved a journey as well, for the original owner toured the globe between the two world wars, and ended up, among other places, in the beautiful city of Venice.

What this jewelry-loving traveler acquired in Venice–or probably more likely, after a visit to the island of Murano, where glass-makers were sent in the 13th century so as not to imperil Venice with their hazardous furnaces and open flames–were several strands of a specific type of handmade glass bead known as fiorato, or flowered.  I have a feeling these  lovely strands may have been purchased as potential gifts that happily ended up after all in her own jewel-box for 50 years.  This is the kind of  jewelry that  becomes an irresistible commodity for tourists– so abundant and affordable when visiting the place of manufacture, and memorably exotic when returned home.   Why not buy extras, just in case?  There is hardly a better way to evoke the memory of a time and place than a piece or two of jewelry.

From Wikipedia, Creative Commons

Fiorato beads get their start on a copper wire, which forms the hole when finished, by winding the hot colored glass around it into a fairly good sized ball.  The centuries old process is called in Italian perle `a lume–we call it lampwork or lampwound.  For fiorato, the opaque bead is then decorated according to a theme involving glitter, squiggles and rosebuds.  There are as many variations, apparently, as there are bead-makers, or moods of bead-makers, but the basic idea is the same.  First, the dazzling glitter effect is applied.  The glitter is actually a specific type of glass known as avventurina or aventurine (not to be confused with the natural quartz of similar name), derived from  the Italian word a ventura, “by chance”.   This transparent glass infused with copper filings causes an eye-catching gold-like glint when overlaid onto the surface of a bead, and it is characteristic of many exquisite Venetian  beads.  (Apocryphally, aventurine glass was discovered accidentally in a Murano workshop in the 1600s, and for many years was a closely guarded secret.) The next decoration applied are the various squiggles, known as a “trailing pattern”, which are narrow strands of glass “trailed” in loops or zigzags around the bead.  The more there are, the more likely it is the beads are old, as this adds significant time to the manufacture.  Finally, more or less carefully, the floral details are applied:  the rosebuds usually in pink, and the forget-me-nots in dots of blue and white with a yellow center.
This style of flowered bead  (in a somewhat simpler form) is thought to have made its first appearance in the late 1700s, perhaps in response to the wide European interest in the “language of flowers”, a coquettish code of floral symbolism .   The very earliest substantiated date is 1815.  By the end of the 19th century, versions were being made in Bohemia as well.

There is also a variation called dogaressa. In this case, the glitter of the aventurine glass  is replaced by a layer of gold foil applied directly to the surface.  The decoration on these beads is softer, both in effect and in durability.
It isn’t surprising that other bead-making traditions have imitated the beautiful Italian fiorato.  One of the ways to identify a true Venetian bead from its imitators is to observe the area around the hole.

Venetian on the left, Indian manufacture on the right

In Italian beads, a lampworked bead is made one at a time, and when finished, the copper wire that holds it while it is being formed is dissolved in nitric acid, leaving the hole open for stringing.  If a white residue around the hole is observed, this is an indication of a different method of manufacture, whereby several beads are made at once on a steel rod.  The white residue is the remains of a releasing agent used to free the beads from the rod.  It is not uncommon to see beads made in this fashion sell for 1/100th of the price of a single Venetian bead.

Residue within hole on left

I’m not sure when and where and by whom Venetian fiorato beads began to be called “wedding cake beads”, but that seems to be the popular and accepted  trade term in English, and it’s an apt description for these fancy glass beads, with their “icing” of frills and flowers.  But one possibility is that the early 19th century Beidermeier  influence on European design, at a time when these beads were emerging in fashion, is why these beads carry an association with weddings.  Beidermeier bouquets, still carried by brides today, nicely correspond to the bead design in their use of concentric rows of different colored flowers.

A  Biedermeier Bouquet

Some Thoughts on Saltwater Akoya Pearls

Pearls.   It is difficult to find any other category of fine jewelry that has changed more radically in the last 100 years than this one.  And there is hardly a category of fine jewelry that has more to know, study and appreciate because of the incredible variety of pearl types available today.

A hundred or so years ago, the only choices for a pearl lover were to either acquire natural –a gift from the sea, lake or river, and created by the mussel without intervention from humans– or imitation — a glass bead with a pearlescent coating manufactured from fishscales.   In the early part of the 20th century,  enterprising Japanese inventors, chiefly Mikimoto,  succeeded in developing the ability to control the creation of a pearl inside a mussel at will.  It was an extraordinary accomplishment.  The basic idea was to help the oyster along by inserting a bead inside its tissues, which would activate the production of nacre–the beautiful lustrous response the oyster makes when confronted with a foreign body inside.

These cultured pearls were formed in saltwater, inside a type of oyster known as akoya.  Today a distinction is made about whether a pearl is from the saltwater akoya oyster, or whether it is from freshwater production.    Until the late 1980s no one bothered to make that distinction,  because freshwater pearls were rare and natural.   In fact, if any distinction was made, it was between cultured pearls and natural pearls.  There just weren’t that many choices in cultured pearls, as there are today.   In fact, one of the early cultured freshwater pearls produced by the Chinese, the so-called “rice krispie” pearl, was dismissed for its oversaturation in the market and its pathetically low cost, and it wasn’t considered fine jewelry.

Most jewelers, pre-1990s, would have offered their customers a strand of pearls like the ones illustrated above.   In a typical jewelry store that stocked nice cultured pearls, there would usually be a wide variety of price ranges, and in comparison it was easy to understand.  It came down to size, color, luster, blemishes, nacre thickness, shape and matching.    Size is expressed in millimeters, typically 5mm to 7mm,  with akoya oysters unable to produce larger than 9mm (anything bigger will be from a different oyster).   Color typically refers to variations of cream or white, often with overtones of pink or green.  Luster is about reflection–dull to shiny,  with preference given to a higher mirror-like luster.   Blemishes, a certain amount at least, are tolerable, giving credence to them being “real” (although the use of that word is another blog topic!).  Nacre thickness is a function of how long the oyster was allowed to build up layers of nacre on the inserted bead before harvesting, and an important aspect of beauty and durability.  Shape refers to whether they are round, slightly off round, or baroque (a “tail” or distinct variation on an otherwise round pearl).  So, all of these components went into making a pearl strand a certain price range, which  at the time, started at several hundred dollars.  In those days, a strand of imitation pearls (like Majorica pearls for example), sold at better department stores would have cost more than the typical freshwater strand of today.

Freshwater pearls dominate the market now, and I will write about them as well.  There are many good things to say about freshwater pearls. However, it is a different pearl than the akoya, with different characteristics. It’s important to understand that, and in my opinion, we’re rapidly losing the appreciation for the differences.

So–why buy an akoya strand today, particularly a vintage one?

• First:  Quality akoya pearls are prized above all for their luster and roundness.  Fine akoyas have a glow about them.

• Second:  Appreciate the difference in pearls types, and treasure them for what they are.  Saltwater and freshwater pearls have different culturing methods, which result in higher and lower costs of production.   In saltwater oysters, one pearl is produced per oyster, with a nucleated bead.  In freshwater, dozens of pearls are produced in a single mussel at once.

• Third:  In my opinion, akoyas may be going the way of the horse and buggy, as the market shifts to new and less expensive products.  Buy a nice old strand now, while they are still available.   Do your part to preserve a piece of jewelry history.

A Primer on Pearl Stringing

Need to know how best to care for your pearls?  Let’s begin with the foundation of the pearl necklace.  It is strongly advised that pearls be strung on silk or nylon cord with a small tight knot between each pearl, both to save wear at the drill holes, and to prevent loss of pearls if the strand breaks. Aesthetically, the pearls drape better when knotted.

How do you know if your strand needs to be restrung?  If you can move the pearl easily back and forth between the knots, if any pearl is slipping over a knot, if the thread looks frayed, or soiled, then it’s time to visit your professional pearl expert.

Silk cord made especially for the purpose of stringing pearls is used, in a color which most closely matches the color of the pearl.  Natural or cultured pearls of any type (freshwater, saltwater, akoya, Tahitian, South Sea, and so on) are thoroughly cleaned prior to restringing.

In the case of vintage costume or simulated pearls, special care must be taken to clean each bead individually, to avoid removing the pearlescent coating which is often quite fragile.  Cleaning vintage simulated pearls is risky, in that some loss of  coating may be unavoidable.  Once the peeling of the coating begins, there is no stopping it, and usually what’s left is an unattractive plastic or glass bead.  If your pearls are peeling, that is a sign that they are imitation, and neither natural or cultured.

If gold or other metal beads are added to the strand, the pearls will require more frequent restringing, a dark residue on the pearl and string will be left behind by the metal (especially gold), and the string will likely be frayed or broken by the edge of the metal bead sooner or later.  If possible, pearls strung with metal beads should not be knotted, but strung on a strong cord like Beadalon.  Small spacer beads can be used that look like knots, and perform the same function of protecting the drill hole as knots, but the spacers of course will not help prevent bead loss in case of breakage.

There are two basic methods for ending the strand of silk- or nylon-strung pearls at the clasp.  One is called “French wire” or “Bullion”, which consists of a tight coil of either gold-tone or silver-tone metal that slips over the cord to protect it from fraying against the metal connecting ring of the clasp.  It is the preferred method for fine quality pearls and gives a nice professional finish.   Sometimes, French wire cannot be used because of the size of the drill hole, or other factors.

he second method employs what is known as a bead tip, a cup which secures the last knot, and a hook attached to the connecting ring of the clasp.  The bead tip is useful when there is a possibility that the clasp will be changed or up-graded in the future, as restringing the whole  strand will not be necessary.  A type of bead tip known as a clam-shell covers the knot completely in exactly the way the name implies, and is often used on inexpensive beads.

When Beadalon or other cord is used without knots, the method of ending the strand of beads at the clasp is a crimp.  This is a little metal tube that fits over the looped end, and is crimped or flattened by a pliers, holding the ends in place.

Occasionally an older vintage strand will be seen that was not knotted originally.  These strands usually date from the 1940s or 1950s, most having been brought back by GIs or others traveling through the Orient at that time.  Knotting is still advised in this case, however it is important to note that the length of the strand will increase by at least an inch or two.

Often a strand of pearls will break near the clasp, and a common question is: “Can’t you just re-attach it without restringing the whole thing?”  The answer is, unfortunately, no.  The entire strand of pearls must be re-knotted.  Even if a pearl is left off, there is not enough thread to make a new knot to attach to the connecting ring, and to use glue only as the attachment is unreliable and certainly unattractive for a good  strand of pearls.  On long and inexpensive strands that can fit over the head without using a clasp, I have occasionally been implored to “knit” the ends together using a similar colored cord; it is an acceptable solution in very limited cases.

It is advisable to have only an experienced professional, often found through your local independent jeweler, restring your pearls.  It is a good practice to count the number of pearls, and have the jeweler measure them in millimeters at take-in.  It is likely that the pearl strand will be shorter after restringing, due to the knots being tighter between each pearl.