Antique Venetian watermelon chevron beads and handmade, faceted brass, on our signature fresh water pearl slide.

Dating back to before the days of the Italian peninsula unifying into one nation, these handblown glass beads are an incredible peak into the history of the once great and unique Italian city states. The peninsula itself, originally the southernmost, Greek region, has been called Italia since even before the days of Roman domination over the Mediterranean, and while Italy underwent immense comings and goings, from being the center of the world under Roman rule, to being a shadow of its former self under the Ostrogothic Kingdom, one thing, alongside its name, has always remained, its rich, unique and diverse cultures, preserved by the relative isolation provided to them by the often rough and mountainous landscape. The city of Venice itself would start its life on the outskirts of what was then considered Italia, with the swamps of the northeastern region of Italy, known as Venetia et Histria, being used by the fleeing inhabitants of the nearby city of Aquileia as a place of refuge from the successive Germanic invasions, many of these people, including a great number of glass blowers, would take up the swamps of Venetia as their new home, and would rather quickly build themselves into one of the most prominent Italian city states. Adopting the name of the ancient Celtic tribe for whom their region was named after, and spreading across the Mediterranean to form a vast trade empire, the Venetians became a powerful player in the medieval and Renaissance world, all on the back of their glass industry. Each of the great Italian city states had their strengths, Genoa had their professional corps of crossbowmen and powerful navy, and Florence had some of if not the most influential banking families of the era, but Venice had the most beautiful and sought after glass in the world, and such was its importance to their success at home and abroad, that the keeping of secrets amongst the city’s many glassblowing guilds was protected and enforced by the government. As the Renaissance faded, so too would Venice’s maritime empire, taking their influential seat in European politics with it, but bead production and glassblowing would remain as staples of Venetian culture, identity and commerce, even to this day Venice is amongst the worlds premier glassblowing destinations, hosting hundreds of workshops devoted to the ancient craft.

Adjustable from approximately 6.5” - 8.5”, email us at rachellemoine@me.com for requests outside this measurement range and you will be accommodated!