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

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

Start by looking for the glassblower’s signature. The easiest way to verify whether you have genuine Murano glass is to check for a label. It’s the maker’s verification and signature that you are holding Murano glass. It may say Vetri Murano, Venice Glass, or something similar. You can often locate the producer’s location to see whether the glass was made on Murano or in Venice. If it was made elsewhere, it’s not Murano glass — it may instead be glass produced using the same technique. Vintage Murano lamps, vases and bowls can be hard to find with a label, and fortunately that’s not the only way to verify the glass, but it is a good starting point.

2. Colorful Murano glass and beautiful patterns

Murano glass is known worldwide for its vibrant colors and gold accents in the glass. Visit Murano and Venice and you’ll see colorful glass in blues, greens, reds, oranges and combinations of colors displayed in shop windows. It’s eye-catching glass art and one of the most obvious characteristics. It can be a Sommerso vase, where the technique is to assemble two or more layers of glass in contrasting colors without the colored glass touching each other. There must be clear glass separating the colors. Millefiori is another technique where the pattern, as the Italian name suggests, resembles small mosaic flowers often in a profusion of bright colors.

Vintage Murano glass bowl with gold

3. You won’t find two identical Murano pieces

No two Murano pieces are identical—remember that. If you’re in a shop selling Murano glass, you can easily hold two similar vases side by side and compare them. Mass-produced vases can be made identical down to the smallest detail, but then they are not the real thing. The opposite is true for Murano glass. Murano glass vases, lamps and bowls resemble each other but no two are exactly the same. They are handmade, so there will naturally be variations in shape, color and pattern. It can be hard to judge if you don’t have it in your hands and only found it online. In that case, look for other signs—preferably the quirky traits that show the glass is handmade.

Vintage Murano wall lamps

We hope you’re now better equipped to hunt for the lamp, vase or bowl with murano glass that you dream of—and even better, to find it. Enjoy the search.

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

Explore genuine Murano glass in our collection of Murano pendant and Murano vases and bowls. Read our complete guide to Murano glass or about the most renowned glassblowers.