BLOG #1   MILLEFIORI

I decided to write my first blog about millefiori glass beads. I wonder if it is because I like the melodic sound of the word—it so Italian! Or, because I recently made a necklace using black millefiori beads, which I think are beautiful. (Judge for yourself.)
Millefiori means “thousand flowers” in English. The technique of creating a look of flowers embedded in glass involves the use of glass rods (canes) with multicolored pattern of flowers which can only be viewed from the end of the rod. Slices of such a rod are pressed into the surface of a bead, forming a desired pattern naturally when it is still hot. It is a labor-intensive technique, as each item is individually and painstakingly handmade.
Variations of the millefiori technique go back as far as the 7th century; until the 19th century, its products were referred to as Mosaic beads. When we use the term nowadays, we usually refer to the technique developed in Murano, Italy, around the 15th century.
You may see polymer clay beads made with this technique as well. Artists who love the look have been adapting it to this relatively new material.