Allenes Beads

United States

I discovered these wonderful hand blown Moretti "tubos" on a visit to Venice. Use one as a focal surrounded by other beads or try a set of two with a large focal pendant for a more contemporary piece. (See examples). Please note that because tubos are hand blown, slight imperfections may appear in the glass. And, no two are exactly alike. Pairs are as close as possible. Remember this is a "soft" glass, but methods used to create these pieces are hundreds of years old - they are extremely resilient. They will be approximately 5 12" from hole to hole and 8" along the outside curve of the bead. Click to view

Spheres can be used exclusively in your piece or as an element of it. Because they are hand blown, swirls of color add to the depth of these great beads available in matte, shiny, clear or etched. Using the techniques of making Venetian glass, they are amazingly break resistant and almost weightless. They are available in three sizes - small (approx. 26-28mm), medium (approx. 28-30mm), and large (approx. 30-32mm) Click to view

The straight tubo was the first hand blown glass bead I brought back from Italy 8 years ago and I've now reintroduced them in more great colors. Use them for long necklaces - they can be incorporated on one side of a piece or both. There are some great design examples in the slide show on this website. This year I added the baby tubo - again to be used in long necklaces, but with a lighter look. Click to view

There are so many possibilities with these hand blown Venetian beads. "Shapes" can become focals or used as an element in your collection of fabulous beads for your necklace. Select cubes, olives, discs, rhombos, or dates. They are available in matte, shiny, clear or etched surface. Click to view

These are great examples of a set of hand blown Italian glass beads. By working with the studio we created three sizes of "little onions". As shown in the example it's a great way to add a sculptural and colorful aspect to your piece. They are available in small (approx 24mm), medium (approx 27mm) and large (approx 30mm) in diameter. Please keep in mind that because they are hand blown they may vary in size slightly. They are priced at $12 each. Click to view

Simple hand blown focals create a unique fashion statement. Combine them with other beads from past treasure hunts. Or, string them onto rubber tubing or leather cord for a quick on-the-run necklace. Attach a fabulous button or bead and loop at the back as a closure for an added aspect to your design. Click to view