At a glance
| On the quote | What it tells you | Evidence that can exist | Wording to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murano glass with the Vetro Artistico Murano label | Glass made on the island of Murano by a company licensed to use the collective mark. The label carries the licensee's identification number. | The label on the glass, the number on the Region's published list, the consortium's code check. | Made on Murano by a licensed holder of the mark. |
| Made on Murano, no mark claimed | The supplier says it was made on the island. The label cannot back the statement. | A signed declaration naming the workshop, dated production photographs, the workshop's own papers. | Made on Murano by [workshop], with a declaration of origin. |
| Venetian | A style: the ornate, flowered, many-armed chandelier. It can be made anywhere. | Nothing about origin. | Use it for the form; state origin separately. |
| Murano-style, Murano-inspired | By its own words, not claimed to come from Murano. We found no legal definition. | Nothing about origin. | Do not accept it as an origin. |
| Hand-blown | A technique, not a place. | A statement of technique for each element. | Say where as well as how. |
| Made in Italy | A country, not an island. | Nothing that narrows it to Murano. | Say Murano if Murano is meant. |
Reference only. The registered mark is not reproduced on this page or in the PDF. Nothing here states that any particular supplier holds, or does not hold, the mark.
What the Vetro Artistico Murano mark is
The Vetro Artistico Murano mark is a collective trademark of the Veneto Region. We read these facts on the Region's own pages and in its official bulletin of 17 July 2026, and on the consortium's pages.
- Law and register. It was set up by Veneto regional law no. 70 of 23 December 1994. The logo was approved in 1996 and is registered with the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) under no. 000481812.
- Where it may be used. The regulation of use, approved by the Region in 2003, allows the mark only on artistic glass products made on the island of Murano. The Region lists the protected products: glass of first working, engraved, decorated and ground glass, mirrors, lighting articles, beads and murrine, and lampworked glass.
- Who may use it. Only glass-producing companies on the island that have signed a concession contract with the Region may apply the label to their own products. The Region authorises a company only after a favourable opinion from the Consorzio Promovetro Murano, which manages the mark, and after inspections at the company to check the conditions of use.
- The label. It is an adhesive anti-counterfeit label showing the mark and the licensee's identification number. The Region says it is applied to each product and cannot be removed and reused without breaking. Since 2016 it also carries a serial number and a Data Matrix code that identify the individual product. The consortium says the label is red or blue, or red and gold or blue and gold, depending on the technique, and does not explain what the colours mean.
- The list. The Region publishes the list of licensed companies, each with its identification number. When we read it, the PDF was dated 19 March 2025 and had 38 entries, with numbers from 002 to 103. Ask for the current list: it changes.
- The check page. The consortium points to a check page that asks for a producer code and a product code. We have not tested it with a real label, so we cannot say what it returns.
Murano, Venetian and Murano-style
Our Murano chandeliers page says “Murano” describes where and how the glass is made, blown by hand on the island, and “Venetian” describes a style that can be made in Murano or elsewhere. The mark gives that distinction a formal test for glass made on the island. In practice a quote can mean one of three things.
- Made on Murano and marked. A licensed company made it and applied its label. You can check the number against the Region's list and the label's codes with the consortium.
- Made on Murano, not marked. The Region says only licensed companies may apply the label. It does not say that every glassmaker on the island is licensed, and we found no figure for how many are not. So a piece can be made on the island and carry no label. That is not an accusation of anything: it means the label cannot be your evidence, and the supplier's signed declaration and the workshop's records have to carry the weight.
- Venetian or Murano-style. Made elsewhere, in the tradition. These words describe how a piece looks. We found no legal definition of “Venetian” or “Murano-style” as a place, and a supplier using them is not claiming Murano.
A name that may change
Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 extends geographical indication protection to craft and industrial products. Italian press reported on 7 May 2026 that Italy had adopted the national decree to apply it, that the Murano glass association had announced it would apply for protection, and that nothing was yet registered. If a protected name is registered, what “Murano glass” may lawfully be called would change. We have not checked the EU register, whether an application has been filed or the position in Great Britain.
What the mark shows, and what it does not
An origin mark answers one question well. The table sets out what it does and does not tell you, from the sources we read, and what to do about each gap. We have not read the regulation of use itself, so anything it contains beyond what the Region's pages and bulletin say is outside this sheet.
| Question | What the sources say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Where was the glass made? | The Region says the mark may be used only on artistic glass produced on the island of Murano, by a licensed company whose number is on the label. | Check the label and the list. |
| Is the whole chandelier Murano? | The Region says the label goes on the glass products and lists lighting articles among protected products. How it is applied to a finished, many-element chandelier is not stated. | Ask for origin element by element, and ask separately about frame, metalwork and wiring. |
| Is it electrically safe and certified? | That is not what an origin mark is for. Electrical conformity is the manufacturer's declaration, backed by test evidence. | Ask for the declaration of conformity and test report (see the conformity sheet). |
| What is the glass made of? | No source we read ties the mark to composition, lead content or the crystal categories. | Ask the workshop to state the glass type for each element. |
| Will the colour match, and is it flawless? | The mark sets no colour tolerance that we found. The Region describes the mark as protecting origin and quality, but we have not read the regulation of use that would say what quality means here. | Approve a sample, keep a control piece and agree acceptance criteria. |
| Is it hand-made or moulded? | The label is red or blue depending on the technique, according to the consortium, which does not say what each colour means. | Ask the workshop to state the technique for each element. |
Origin evidence comes in layers
Ask for evidence in layers. A word on a quote is the weakest layer, and each step above it is harder to fake and easier to check. Which layers you need depends on the project: a hotel lobby that is marketed as Murano glass needs all of them, and a residential piece that only needs the Venetian look may need none.
The documents to ask a supplier for
| Evidence | What it is | Ask for it |
|---|---|---|
| Written statement of origin, per element | Names the workshop and its address, and says where and how each element was made. Signed and dated, per order. | With the quotation, and again with delivery |
| The producer's identification code | If the supplier says it holds the mark, the number on its labels. Compare it with the Region's list of licensed companies. | Before the order |
| Label photographs | The label on the actual glass elements before packing, with the producer code and the serial number legible. | Before dispatch |
| Code check | The producer code and product code entered on the consortium's check page, with a screenshot kept on file. We have not tested what the page returns. | On arrival |
| Production record | Dated photographs or video of the pieces at the workshop at agreed milestones. | During production |
| Workshop invoice and dispatch papers | They show the workshop as the sender and list the elements. | With delivery |
| Right to inspect | A written right to inspect at the workshop or before dispatch. | At order |
| Origin of the non-glass parts | A separate statement for the frame, metalwork and wiring. | With the quotation |
Our Murano chandeliers page says documentation of Murano provenance is provided on delivery. Make it a line in your specification, so that it is a requirement and not a courtesy, and say which of the documents above you mean. The Murano specification sheet covers the wider paperwork, glass types and programme.
Words on a quote, and what to ask
Read the words on a quote and the schedule before you read the price. Most of them are accurate descriptions of something. They are not all descriptions of Murano.
| If the quote says | It tells you | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| “Murano glass”, “genuine Murano” | A claim of place with no proof attached. | Where, by whom, and for which elements? |
| “Authentic Murano label”, “certified Murano” | Certified by whom? The one formal origin mark we found is the Vetro Artistico Murano collective mark. | Which label? Send a photograph with the producer code. |
| “Venetian chandelier” | A style, not a place. | Where is it made? |
| “Murano-style”, “Murano-inspired”, “Murano quality” | By their own words, not claimed to be from Murano. | Treat as not Murano unless the supplier says otherwise in writing. |
| “Hand-blown” | A technique, not a place. | Where was each element blown? |
| “Italian glass”, “Made in Italy” | A country, not an island. | Is it Murano? Show the evidence. |
Checking a label, step by step
- Find the label on the glass itself, not only on the box.
- Read the producer's identification code, which the consortium says sits at the top of the label.
- Compare it with the Region's published list of licensed companies.
- Read the serial number and the Data Matrix code with the consortium's app, or enter the producer code and product code on its check page.
- Photograph the label, the glass and the packing list together and keep the pictures with the order.
- If anything does not match, do not accuse anyone. Ask the supplier to explain, in writing. The consortium's page gives a contact for doubts about origin.
A match shows that the codes exist. Whether the check page also reports which product a code was issued for, we do not know, so treat it as one layer of evidence and not as proof by itself.
Specification wording
Paste into your schedule or specification and replace anything in [square brackets] with your own figures. Wording is a starting point: your specification governs.
Glass elements to be made on the island of Murano by a company licensed to use the Vetro Artistico Murano collective mark. The label, showing the licensee's identification code and serial number, is to be applied to each glass element [or, where an element is too small to carry one, the supplier is to say which elements are unlabelled and why]. The supplier states the licensee's identification code before order and sends photographs of the labels, codes legible, before dispatch. The specifier may check the codes against the Region's list and the consortium's check page.
Glass elements to be made on the island of Murano by [workshop name and address]. The supplier states in writing whether the workshop holds the Vetro Artistico Murano mark. A declaration of origin, signed by the workshop and naming each element, is supplied with the quotation and again with delivery, with dated production photographs at [milestones].
[Venetian / Rezzonico] style: the reference is to form only. The supplier states where each element is made. The fitting is not to be described as Murano unless its glass is made on Murano and the evidence above is supplied.
With each fitting: the declaration of origin, label photographs, and the workshop's invoice listing the elements [and a formal certificate of origin where the client or customs requires one]. The specifier may inspect at the workshop or before dispatch on [notice].
The origin of the frame, metalwork and wiring is to be stated separately [ ]. An origin statement says nothing about electrical conformity: the declaration of conformity and test report are required in addition.
Terms used on this page
- Vetro Artistico Murano mark
- A collective trademark of the Veneto Region, set up by regional law no. 70 of 1994 and managed by the Consorzio Promovetro Murano. Licensed Murano producers apply a label with their identification number to artistic glass they make on the island.
- Promovetro
- The consortium of Murano glass producers that manages and promotes the Vetro Artistico Murano mark for the Veneto Region.
Standards and sources
- Regione del Veneto: Marchio del vetro artistico di Murano: Italian page, updated 20 Jul 2021 (English version updated 4 Dec 2015).
- Regione del Veneto: Aziende concessionarie (list of licensed companies): page updated 15 Apr 2025; PDF list dated 19 Mar 2025.
- Regione del Veneto: Bollini adesivi (labels): page updated 3 Nov 2015.
- Bollettino Ufficiale della Regione del Veneto n. 96, 17 Jul 2026: DGR n. 652 of 30 Jun 2026: states the law, the logo approval, the 2003 regulation of use and the label.
- Consorzio Promovetro Murano: The Vetro Artistico Murano mark: label, serial number and Data Matrix since 2016, check page. Check page.
- Il Sole 24 Ore, 7 May 2026: geographical indications for craft products: press report only; Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 not read.
Questions we are asked
How can I tell whether a Murano chandelier is genuine?
Ask in layers. Start with a signed statement of where each element was made and by which workshop. If the supplier says it holds the Vetro Artistico Murano mark, ask for its identification number, compare it with the Region's list of licensed companies, and ask for photographs of the labels on the actual glass. The consortium has a check page that asks for a producer code and a product code. No single document is proof by itself.
What is the Vetro Artistico Murano mark?
A collective trademark of the Veneto Region, set up by regional law no. 70 of 23 December 1994 and managed by the Consorzio Promovetro Murano. Licensed companies on the island of Murano apply an adhesive label showing their identification number to artistic glass they make there. Since 2016 the label also carries a serial number and a Data Matrix code.
Is Venetian glass the same as Murano glass?
No. On our Murano chandeliers page, “Venetian” describes a style, the ornate, flowered, many-armed chandelier, and “Murano” describes where and how the glass is made. A Venetian-style chandelier can be made in Murano or elsewhere. We found no legal definition of “Venetian” or “Murano-style” as a place.
Does every genuine Murano maker hold the mark?
The sources we read do not say. The Region says only licensed companies may apply the label, not that every glassmaker on the island is licensed, and we found no figure. A piece can be made on the island and carry no label, so the label should not be your only evidence.
Does the mark mean the chandelier is electrically certified?
No. It concerns where glass was made. Electrical conformity is the manufacturer's declaration, backed by test evidence. Ask for both sets of documents; see the sheet on luminaire conformity.
What should I write in a specification to get true Murano-made glass?
Say that the glass is made on the island of Murano, say whether you require a licensed holder of the mark with the label on each element, ask for a signed declaration of origin per element with the quotation and with delivery, and say how you will check it: label photographs, the Region's list, the consortium's check page, production photographs and a right to inspect. The wording below does this.
Should I put “Murano-style” in a schedule?
Only if you mean style and nothing else. By its own words it does not claim Murano origin. If origin matters, write it as an origin requirement and keep the style word for the form.
Download the factsheet
A two-page A4 PDF with the three-way distinction, the label drawing, the evidence to ask for and paste-in specification wording, to keep with your project file.