Choker Murano glass bead

On the lagoon island of Murano, located in front of Venice, the iridescent colored glass beads are created in the best Venetian tradition, which are processed in a Pforzheim jewelry workshop for this extraordinary choker. The beads gain their shape, color and beauty each individually by hand under the flame. The processed glass material is extremely break-resistant thanks to a particularly high proportion of aluminum oxide - beyond this information, the manufacturing companies do not reveal the secret of the composition of their starting material and their color formulas. Only the iridescence can be explained: A fine gold foil is placed over the raw pearl bodies separated from a glass rod - as a base for another colored glass layer - and finally another layer of clear or colored glass is applied on top of it.
Only one glass pearl is used in this necklace. It is threaded onto a delicately turned stainless steel hoop with a fine bayonet clasp, the length of which, at 43 cm, is adjusted so that the pearl comes to rest in the small depression between the collarbones, the so-called choke pit. Due to the restrained design of the hoop, it seems to float there almost freely on the skin. By using both white and yellow fine gold foil in the glass bead, the choker can be combined equally with gold and silver jewelry.

When Gisela and Detlef Menard founded their own company in 1981, the focus was still on the sale of antique-style jewelry. It has long since become an established family business that stands for timeless design and high quality. To achieve this, Ménard harmoniously combined aspects of craftsmanship, function and design. The clasps on the necklaces and bracelets, for example, are not just a necessary constructive evil, but in their simple yet effective design are sometimes pieces of jewelry in their own right. No wonder Ménard has protected them under design law. The necklaces and bracelets made from the colorful Murano glass beads, which come from the lagoon island near Venice, famous for its glass art, are almost a trademark. And of course Ménard also uses classic jewelry materials such as pearls.

Due to the high working and social standards, short transport routes and technical expertise, Ménard relies largely on Germany as a location: the silver clasps, for example, come from the gold town of Pforzheim, stones and chains from the gemstone town of Idar-Oberstein. It is worth noting that Ménard works specifically with refineries that only use recycled silver and gold for its precious metals.