glass

The colors of Venice by Linea Italia

Not far from Venice, in Costabissara, Murano artisans bring elaborate glass beads which are transformed into jewels by Linea Italia, a company managed by the Loison family since 1986. Linea Italia is now led by Tranquillo Loison, who has accumulated extensive experience in goldsmithing as an entrepreneur and as a trade representative in the goldsmith sector. In addition to making silver and Murano glass jewelery, Linea Italia develops jewelery lines for other companies in the sector.

Orecchini pendenti in argento e vetro di Murano
Pendant earrings in silver and Murano glass

The Murano glass used for Linea Italia jewels is the name that characterizes the artistic glass made in Murano, an island in the Venice lagoon: a tradition that has its roots over the centuries. The first documents on Venetian glass art date back to the year 982. Linea Italia, however, also creates classic-style 925 silver jewelry. The multi-strand necklaces represent the top of the production and are added to the series of jewels with colored Murano glass.

Collana con pendente in vetro di Murano e perline blu
Necklace with Murano glass pendant and blue beads

Murano glass, an island in the Venice lagoon, is generically defined in English as Venetian glass. It is elaborately decorated glass, with various techniques of hot forming, gilding, enameling or engraving. Production has been concentrated on the Venetian island of Murano since the 13th century. Murano was Europe’s leading center for luxury glass from the early Middle Ages to the Italian Renaissance. In the 15th century Murano glassmakers created crystal, which was almost transparent and considered the finest glass in the world. Murano glassmakers also developed a white-colored glass (milk glass called lattimo) that looked like porcelain. They later became the best mirror manufacturers in Europe. Venetian glassmakers developed secret methods of glassmaking: Murano is still home to numerous glass factories and a few individual artists’ studios.

Collana con pendente in vetro di Murano
Murano glass pendant necklace
Orecchini a bottone in vetro di Murano e argento
Murano glass and silver button earrings
Orecchini pendenti in vetro di Murano e argento
Pendant earrings in Murano glass and silver

Sophie Bille Brahe’s bubbles of diamonds and pearls






Venice has inspired poets, painters, musicians. But also jewelers and designers. In the case of the Danish Sophie Bille Brahe, however, Venice was not the muse, but Murano. The island near the lagoon city is famous for its glass craft workshops. And it is precisely the artisans-artists of Murano, who work the delicate material, that Sophie Bille Brahe has decided to combine pearls and glass spheres, in an unusual and refined mix.

Bracciale tennis in oro 14 carati e diamanti
Bracciale tennis in oro 14 carati e diamanti
In short, the Copenhagen designer added something more to her way of making jewelry, a passion she has cultivated since she was a child. Once grown up, she studied jewelry design at the Royal College of Art in London and trained with master jewelers in her hometown. She founded his brand in 2011. The jewels are handmade using secular jewelery techniques.
Orecchini Jardin de Coeurs in oro 14 carati e perle di acqua dolce
Orecchini Jardin de Coeurs in oro 14 carati e perle di acqua dolce

She divides his jewelry into two broad lines: pearls and diamonds. In both cases she uses that simple and intelligent design that is typical of the Nordic countries. Pearls are often used in clusters with ever-changing volumes, while diamonds are aligned with a rivière that provides movement to the composition. Simple, but effective.

Collana Jardin de Peggy in oro 14 carati e perle di acqua dolce
Collana Jardin de Peggy in oro 14 carati e perle di acqua dolce
Sophie Bille Brahe
Sophie Bille Brahe
Orecchini Promenade Perles
Orecchini Promenade Perles
Anello Plateau Diamant in oro e diamanti
Anello Plateau Diamant in oro e diamanti
Orecchini in oro e diamanti Ocean Dree
Orecchini in oro e diamanti Ocean Dree

Orecchini chandelier in oro q4 carati e perle di acqua dolce
Orecchini chandelier in oro q4 carati e perle di acqua dolce







Artist’s jewelery in glass





In New York an exhibition organized by Adornment with glass jewels created by artists ♦ ︎

Glass is not precious, unless it becomes a jewel. This is witnessed by Adornment, a company that deals with projects dedicated to contemporary art jewels, which from 12 to 17 November organized for the occasion of the New York City Jewelry Week, a special edition of Cutting Edge. It is a design exhibition and search for glass jewelry, held in the spaces of R & Company (64 White Street). The exhibition is called Cutting Edge – Contemporary Glass Jewelry and is dedicated to the creations of artists and designers who use glass as a vehicle for expression.

Rings and necklaces of creative glass are seen with the eyes of Paolo Marcolongo, Biba Schutz and Agustina Ros, as well as pieces made by the special guest and ambassador in the field of Linda MacNeil glass jewelery.

Augustina Ros, anelli, Gold reflection
Augustina Ros, anelli, Gold reflection

The selection aims to provide an unusual and avant-garde perspective on glass jewels, an affirmation of the identity of a research that today is increasingly independent, even if still connected to tradition. Various processes and techniques are used, then customized by each of the creators through experimental techniques: from the processing of Murano glass, to the processing of hand-blown borosilicate glass; from the union and mixing of different chemical components, to the combined processing of glass and metals.

In Linda MacNeil’s jewelery, for example, metals (both precious and non-precious) and glass have equal dignity and functionality.

Biba Schultz, Black Score. Poto: Ron Boszko, courtesy Sienna Patti
Biba Schultz, Black Score. Poto: Ron Boszko, courtesy Sienna Patti

Both are designed and built to compose a unity of shapes, geometry and visual rhythm, function and decoration; both transmit a perfectly balanced result.





Linda MacNeil, Bouquet necklace, vetro e oro 18 carati
Linda MacNeil, Bouquet necklace, vetro e oro 18 carati

Linda MacNeil, Bouquet necklace Floral series, vetro e oro 18 carati
Linda MacNeil, Bouquet necklace Floral series, vetro e oro 18 carati
Linda MacNeil, orecchini in vetro, argento, oro placcato rodio
Linda MacNeil, orecchini in vetro, argento, oro placcato rodio
Linda MacNeil, orecchini N 18 in vetro, argento, oro placcato rodio
Linda MacNeil, orecchini N 18 in vetro, argento, oro placcato rodio
Linda MacNeil, collana N 31 in vitrolite, vetro, ottone placcato oro
Linda MacNeil, collana N 31 in vitrolite, vetro, ottone placcato oro
Paolo Marcolongo, anello Red Corridor, argento e vetro di MUrano
Paolo Marcolongo, anello Red Corridor, argento e vetro di Murano

Paolo Marcolongo, anello in bronzo e vetro di Murano
Paolo Marcolongo, anello in bronzo e vetro di Murano







Vainard black and white




The Art Deco geometries of Vainard, brand of the German group Hans D. Krieger ♦ ︎
The German company Hans D. Krieger has a long history. The jewelry business of the Krieger family is listed in Idar-Oberstein’s town records already in 1720. The descendants are still in the lead. But since then, the German Maison has gone a long way and has become a big active group in the jewelry. And so many years ago he decided to multiply his business by adding another brand: Vainard.
The idea is to combine Hans D. Krieger’s industrial expertise with the aesthetics of Art Deco. Not only that: Vainard jewels are largely made with a mix of white gold, diamonds and black acrylic glass, a material that allows you to obtain particularly precise and composite geometric shapes. The contrast between the shiny black color and the sparkling white diamonds gives a strong visual impact. The idea has proved to be a success, so that Vainard has opened a single store in Zurich, but the German brand jewelry is distributed also in Germany, as well as in France, Canada and oddly in the Cayman Islands. Maybe, even in the small state known to be one of the tax havens, they love Art Deco. Giulia Netrese




Anello in oro bianco, diamanti, vetro acrilico nero
Anello in oro bianco, diamanti, vetro acrilico nero

Orecchini art déco
Orecchini art déco
Anello a forma di stella in oro bianco, diamanti e vetro acrilico
Anello a forma di stella in oro bianco, diamanti e vetro acrilico
Pendente in diamanti e vetro acrilico
Pendente in diamanti e vetro acrilico
Orecchini art déco
Orecchini art déco
Orecchini in oro bianco, diamanti e vetro acrilico
Orecchini in oro bianco, diamanti e vetro acrilico
Orecchini in versione white
Orecchini in versione white
Vainard, orecchini in oro bianco, diamanti, vetro acrilico nero
Vainard, orecchini in oro bianco, diamanti, vetro acrilico nero

Vainard, bracciale in oro bianco, diamanti, vetro acrilico nero
Vainard, bracciale in oro bianco, diamanti, vetro acrilico nero