Based on how well my previous article, "Addicted to Charms for Bracelets or Are You Just Shopping for Charms" was received I think it's safe to say that there are plenty of you out there with the same addiction to charm collecting. So, I'll go ahead and wager that many of you feed your addiction by collecting Murano Glass charms. I can't blame you, as you may or may not know, Murano Glass is how my addiction started in the first place.

The last thing I ever thought I would pick up by visiting Italy was an addiction. I love Italy; the history, culture, food, people, architecture and yes, glass. Italy is a country with dozens of city centers that you could literally spend weeks in each and never even see a quarter of what they have to offer. Hands down, my favorite is Venice and throughout the world people know Venice is famous for glass. I purchased my first charm bracelet in Venice so that I would have an elegant reminder of the city's beauty and the wonderful time I spent their. I thought it appropriate to purchase a charm bracelet made with their world renown Murano Glass, and so began my addiction.

My little charm addiction aside, the origins of glassmaking in Venice actually goes back to the times of the Roman Empire when molded glass was used for illumination in bathhouses. Because Venice was a major trade center, Roman experience with glass blowing soon blended with Byzantine and Oriental styles. As early as the 8th century the Venetian island of Murano had become a prominent glass manufacturer. Today, Murano is known as the glass blowing capital of the world and today, I'm know for blowing a lot of cash on their glass.

Whether you're a fan of Italy or a fan of charms, Murano glass is just plain beautiful. The charm collector in me is drawn to the innovative and exquisite colors, textures and vibrancy found in Murano glass. For the choosy consumer, there are some things you should know about buying authentic Murano glass charms. Unfortunately, online jewelry stores are not always what they seem. There are plenty of jewelry stores that sell "Murano Style" Charms. Watch out for clever wording such as Murano Style. This typically means it was made somewhere other than Murano.

If you are seeking authentic Murano Glass Charms then you should carefully read the online jewelry store's information to see if they've been selling Murano glass for a while? Do they have any reviews and if so, are they mostly good? How long has the store been in business? Lastly, check their return policy to see if they guarantee their jewelry. Any retail fashion jewelry store worth their salt will back their product.

Authentic Murano Glass is much more valuable than knock-off pieces. That being said, I have seen some pretty gorgeous knock offs and if you're just looking to build your charm collection, who cares? There are some credible online jewelry stores that sell authentic Murano Glass charms for extremely affordable prices with guarantees that back their product. These charms rival the quality of the charms produced by industry leaders Pandora Charms and Chamilia Charms. Again, I don't think I can mention these online jewelry stores by name, but my goal is to inspire the charm-o-holic in you so I've provided them in my bio if it helps you find cost effective fix for your craving.

Well, I'm off to find some new charms for the Spring Season. I'm going all out with a brand new collection of matching charm bracelets and charm necklaces in cool blues and greens and yes they are glass. Until next time, happy hunting and I hope you find the right charms for you.