Trade Beads, Millefiori, Large (strand)

Millefiore Beads

Mosaic glasswork techniques have been used for centuries to create intricate glass beads, pendants and paperweights. One of the most popular mosaic varieties is called "thousand (mille) flowers (fiori)" -- in fact, many people now use the terms "mosaic" and "millefiori" interchangeably. Millefiori glass designs are created by making patterned canes from glass rods, slicing the resultant canes to reveal the patterned cross-section, and arranging these slices into mosaic patterns. The slices are often flower designs, hence the mosaic patterns created by fusing numerous slices have come to be called "thousand flowers" glasswork.

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