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A Veranda buying guide quotes Lauren Anderson, decorative-arts director at STAIR Galleries, on ways to assess whether glass is genuinely made on Murano. She recommends checking craftsmanship and provenance, while cautioning that signatures and labels can be copied and that no single visible feature settles the question.
Veranda has published a buying guide in which Lauren Anderson, decorative-arts director at STAIR Galleries, explains how shoppers can assess whether a piece is authentic Murano glass or an imitation. Her advice centers on handmade details, provenance and careful questions for sellers, rather than relying on a signature or sticker alone.
Anderson says the defining point is where the glass was made: authentic Murano glass is made by artisans on Murano, an island in the Venetian Lagoon. The name does not refer to one company or brand. Anderson describes it as a tradition involving many artisans and centuries of glassmaking. Pieces made elsewhere using similar techniques may be described as “Murano-style,” but that does not make them Murano-made.
For signs of handwork, Anderson advises looking for subtle variation and, where present, a pontil mark—a polished or concave trace left when a piece is separated from the glass-blowing rod. She says overly uniform, machine-like appearance may merit more research. But rough edges or conspicuous flaws are not proof of authenticity either: Anderson advises buyers to scrutinize pieces that feel clunky or appear poorly designed.
Weight and layered decoration can offer further clues, but not a definitive test. Anderson says well-made pieces can remain lightweight despite multiple layers, which may incorporate vivid colors or metals such as gold, silver or platinum. She recommends comparing signatures with known examples and asking about the object’s history. Because marks can be copied, documentation and provenance matter alongside appearance and quality.
How Buyers Can Reduce Risk
Murano glass is sought after for decorative use and collecting, and the guide says examples are now appearing across retailers, flea markets and antique shops. That wider availability gives shoppers more places to look, but also makes it harder to judge whether an object’s description matches its origin. The distinction can matter to a buyer’s understanding of the piece’s craft tradition and potential value.
Anderson’s guidance is practical rather than a guarantee of authenticity: no one clue, including a label, signature or pontil mark, establishes where an object was made. Combining visible inspection with seller information and a documented history can help buyers make a better-informed decision before spending money, especially on larger or more expensive items such as lighting.
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Murano’s Glassmaking Tradition
Murano is an island in the northern Venetian Lagoon. The guide says glass furnaces were moved there in 1291 after Doge Pietro Gradenigo ordered their relocation from Venice over fire concerns. The island went on to become a center of Venetian glassmaking, and its name is now used both for glass made there and, more loosely, for work that imitates its style.
That distinction is central to the buying advice: similar appearance does not establish Murano origin. Anderson compares the regional designation to Champagne, where the place of production is part of what the name signifies. The guide does not provide sales figures or quantify how common counterfeit pieces are; it reports the risk as a concern associated with the glass’s popularity.
“Murano is also used to refer to a ‘style’ of glass which is emulated by artists outside of pieces created on the island of Murano.”
— Lauren Anderson, decorative-arts director at STAIR Galleries
What Inspection Cannot Prove
The guide does not offer a single definitive test that buyers can perform at home, nor does it say that a pontil mark, signature, sticker or particular weight guarantees authenticity. Marks can be copied, and some Murano lighting is generally unsigned, Anderson says, making its origins especially difficult to establish. The article also gives no independent authentication results or market data.
For a specific piece, its maker, date, condition and history may remain uncertain unless the seller can provide reliable records or other supporting information. Anderson advises buyers to ask about provenance and condition, including whether there are internal cracks, which can affect value. The guide does not set out a formal appraisal or authentication process.
Questions to Ask Before Buying
Anderson recommends seeking out reputable dealers or auction houses and asking sellers how they know a piece’s origin, what its condition is and what features they consider when sourcing Murano glass. For online listings, buyers should request clear photographs of the object from every side, including its top and base, and ask directly about internal cracks if images do not reveal the glass’s condition.
Buyers considering a costly piece can compare its details with documented examples by the named maker and seek further expert advice when the seller’s account is incomplete. The source does not announce a new authentication service or a forthcoming industry standard; its next step for shoppers is to gather evidence before purchase and treat uncertain origin as unresolved.
Key Questions
What makes glass authentic Murano glass?
According to Lauren Anderson, it must be made by artisans on the island of Murano. Glass made elsewhere in a similar style is not Murano-made.
Does a pontil mark prove a piece is authentic?
No. A pontil mark can indicate where a handmade piece was detached from a glass-blowing rod, but the guide does not describe it as conclusive proof of origin. Buyers should consider craftsmanship and provenance together.
Can a signature or sticker verify Murano glass?
Not by itself. Anderson cautions that signatures and stickers can be copied. She recommends comparing a signature with known examples and asking for information about the piece’s history.
What should I ask an online seller?
Ask about the object’s origin, condition and any internal cracks. Request photographs from all sides, including the top and base, so you can examine the glass’s thickness and surface.
Source: veranda.com
