Blue Cube Millefiori Necklace

This 16 inch (40.64 cm) necklace pays homage to the rich and vibrant history of Italian Millefiori. Millefiori is a glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. The term millefiori is a combination of the Italian words “mille” meaning thousand, and “fiori” meaning flowers. The millefiori technique involves the production of glass canes or rods, known as murrine, with multicoloured patterns which are viewable only from the cut ends of the cane. A murrine rod is heated in a furnace and pulled until thin while still maintaining the cross-section's design. It is then cut into beads or discs when cooled. This process can be traced back to Ancient Roman, Phoenician and Alexandrian times, as canes, probably made in Italy, have been found as far away as Ireland during digs of archaeological sites from the 8th century. Millefiori beads also have been uncovered from digs at Sandby borg, Öland, Sweden, dating apparently from the late 5th or early 6th century. A piece of millefiori was found, along with unworked garnets, in a purse at the early 7th century Anglo-Saxon burial site at Sutton Hoo, England.

The details in these beads are so beautiful to look at, each containing a small flower with intricate details on each petal and at the centre. The cube at the centre of the necklace is filled with minuscule flowers and tiny pops of red. This truly shows off the millefiori technique and if you're a glass enthusiast like me, this is sure to become a staple piece.

These beads are strung on metal jewellery wire with a lobster claw clasp closure. As with all my pieces, if you require it to be longer or shorter, just note your required size at checkout or through the contact form on my website after purchase and I will amend it for you before shipping.

These beads have been cleansed and are ready for their next home. I have taken them from broken jewellery, and some have been bought from ethically sourced places. This bracelet will come in plastic free packaging to lessen the harm to Mother Earth.