How to recognize original Murano lamps, vases and bowls. Here we give you 3 tips on how to tell if the glass is authentic Murano glass or not.

1. Look for the glassblower's signature and name on Murano glass

Start by looking for a signature from the glassblower. The easiest way to verify if you have found Murano glass is to look for a sticker. It is the manufacturer's verification and signature that you are holding Murano glass in your hands. It can say Vetri Murano, Venice Glass or something completely different. You can easily locate the manufacturer's location to see if the glass was produced in Murano or Venice. It is not Murano glass if it is produced elsewhere. Then it can instead be glass produced using the same technique. Vintage Murano lamps, vases and bowls can be difficult to find with a label on them, and fortunately this is not the only way to verify the glass, but a good starting point.

2. Colorful Murano glass and beautiful patterns

Murano glass is known worldwide for being brightly colored and for having gilding in the glass. If you go to Murano and Venice itself, you will see colorful glass in both blue, green, red, orange and combinations of the colors together adorning the shop windows. It is eye-catching glass art, and one of the most obvious features. It could be a Sommerso vase, where the technique is to combine two or more layers of glass in contrasting colors without the colored glass touching each other. There must be clear glass that separates the colored from each other. Millefiori is another technique where the pattern, as the name suggests in Italian, represents small mosaic flowers and preferably in a multitude of strong colours.

Vintage Murano glass bowl with gold

3. You will not find two identical Murano glass

No Murano glass is the same, remember that. If you are in a shop that sells Murano glass, you will easily be able to hold two similar vases up to each other and compare them. Vases that are manufactured can be produced alike without deviating from each other and be identical down to the smallest detail, but then it is not the real thing. The situation is completely reversed with Murano glass. Murano glass vases, lamps and bowls look alike and nothing more. It is handmade, so there will naturally be deviations in either shape, color or pattern. It can be difficult to assess if you don't have it in your hands but have found it online. Then you have to look for other characteristics - like the crooked features that show that the glass is handmade.

 Vintage Murano wall lamps

We hope you are now better equipped to go hunting for the Murano glass lamp, vase or bowl of your dreams. Even better than that, you'll find it too. Have fun.

You can also read about the iconic Murano mushroom table lamp right here