vintage Italian Murano glass venetian wedding cake earrings
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- In stock, ready to ship
- Backordered, shipping soon
A pretty pair of vintage Murano glass “wedding cake” earrings with a sparkling gold aventurine base, pink glass “flowers” and red glass accents.
A stunning and unique pair perfect for adding to your collection or as a one of a kind gift.
Sourced from an estate in Marseille.
History
Wedding Cake Beads are correctly known as ‘Fiorato Beads’, and are a very specific subset of Murano glass beads. They combine a selection of highly skilled techniques to create a unique decorative effect. The term ‘Wedding Cake Bead’ seems to date from the early 19th century, and is probably inspired by the highly decorative cakes that were becoming popular at weddings around the same time fiorato beads were beginning to appear outside of Venice.
Firstly the beads are created using the lampwork technique – wrapping the molten glass around a wire. This creates the base layer, solid coloured, bead. Some glassmakers will also use the aventurine technique to create a glitter or sparkle effect in these base beads.
Once the bead is created, decoration is then added to the outside of the wedding cake beads. Usually this will start with a base layer of aventurine glass – to create the stunning glitter or sparkle effect. This won’t be done if the aventurine is part of the base bead.
The second layer of decoration is the “trailing pattern”. This is where narrow strands of molten glass are trailed, or wound onto the surface of the bead in elaborate zig-zags or swirls.
The final layer to be added to the beads are the distinctive decorative flowers. Again these are done using narrow strands of molten glass.
Of course not every glassmaker uses the same methods, or recipes, to create their wedding cake beads, which makes each one a truly one of a kind treasure.
dimensions: .5"dia
Getting It To You
Shipping & Local Pickup
We ship worldwide, and you're welcome to collect in Pickering.
At a Glance
3 to 7 business days
Free, in Pickering, Ontario
Worldwide, by trusted carriers
Final — please ask before you buy
Shipping Worldwide
Orders are processed within 3 to 7 business days, excluding weekends and holidays. You'll receive a notification with a tracking number once your order ships — please allow 48 hours for tracking to become active.
We ship French antiques and vintage European décor internationally, using Canada Post, FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, Canpar, and other local providers depending on the destination and the piece.
Where we can safely combine multiple purchases into one box, we will. Whether that's possible depends on the size and weight of each piece.
Local Pickup & Delivery
Pickup is free from our Pickering, Ontario shop at 1019 Toy Ave., Unit 5. Select local pickup at checkout and we'll be in touch to arrange a time.
We also offer local delivery. For small items, choose local delivery at checkout and the cost will be shown. For larger pieces marked local pickup preferred, email us for a quote.
We can hold an order for a maximum of 30 days. After that it is deemed abandoned and no refund is issued.
Need Longer Than 30 Days?
Contact us within 30 days of purchase to request an extension. If approved, storage is $100 CAD per 30 days, invoiced by email and payable within 5 business days. Unpaid invoices mean the order is deemed abandoned, and no refund is issued.
Oversized & Fragile Pieces
Items too large, heavy, or bulky for a standard carrier are marked local pickup preferred in the listing. Please email jolietteshipping@gmail.com with the item and your full address for a quote before you purchase.
All items are final sale, including any bought before a shipping quote was requested. We would far rather answer your questions first.
Duties, Taxes & Import Fees
International buyers are responsible for any duties, taxes, and import fees. US customers should expect tariffs collected on delivery. These are charged by the destination government, not by Joliette — we do not set them, receive them, or have any way to estimate them in advance.
Packages left unclaimed because duties were not paid cannot be refunded.
If Something Arrives Damaged
Email jolietteshipping@gmail.com within 30 days of delivery with photographs of the damage. We will work with you to make it right.
Unfortunately we are unable to help with damage reported more than 30 days after delivery.
See also our full Shipping Policy and Return Policy.
