How to Recognize Authentic Murano Glass

“Murano” is one of the most borrowed words in glass. Because the name carries so much history, it also attracts imitation. The good news is that there is an official, checkable mark — and a few simple questions that will tell you a lot about any piece.

What the Vetro Artistico® Murano mark is

The mark was established by the Veneto Region with Regional Law no. 70 of 23 December 1994, and it is registered as a European trademark. It is managed and promoted by the Consorzio Promovetro. According to Promovetro, it certifies that a product was made on the island of Murano, following the island's glassmaking tradition.

Only companies producing glass on Murano can be authorised to use it. The Veneto Region explains that concessionaires are inspected before they may apply the label to their products, and that shops selling marked glass can display a window sticker with the logo and their own identification number.

How to read and check the label

The label shows the trademark logo and a company code. Since 2016, Promovetro says, each label also carries a serial number and a Datamatrix code that identify the individual product. You can scan the code with an app that reads Datamatrix codes, or enter the codes on the Vetro Artistico® Murano website to confirm them.

Questions worth asking any seller

Not every piece you meet will carry a label, and a label is the only independent guarantee. For everything else, a trustworthy seller should be able to answer plainly:

Clear, specific answers are a good sign; vague ones are worth noticing. Knowing a little of the craft helps too: our articles on the history of Murano glass and Venetian glass beads explain the techniques a seller might mention, and our Murano glass guide describes the ones named on our own product pages.

If you have a question about the origin of any of our pieces, write to us — we will answer as specifically as we can.

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