I just heard from a Motovun friend, who makes jewelry from bits and pieces available on the market, that Murano glass is very much in demand at the moment. Various Chinese substitutes are not fairing very well. My friend also showed me a piece she had just acquired with an oval stamp on its back written in plain English: “Murano Glass.” The stamp can be copied, of course, but the gentle play of gold and silver I saw cannot be mimicked as easily. I was quite happy to hear all this from the start, but it took me a while to understand why. And the reason is quite simple. I rejoiced at Murano’s ability to adjust to so many twists and turns in the market over half a millennium at least. That is wonderful, indeed. How many products can survive a single twist or turn in people’s tastes and preferences?! But Murano is still there, spewing tons of glass products out of the Venetian lagoon every year as though there is no tomorrow. As though it is here to stay till the end of time, that is.