Why is Murano glass so expensive?

Murano glass is expensive since each piece takes skilled hand work, furnace time, and years of training. Murano glass production still relies on traditional methods passed through family workshops across many generations, where a Murano master may train for ten years before leading furnace work alone. Glass furnaces run near 1,000 degrees Celsius and stay active day and night and fuel, materials, and labour costs in Italy remain high. Millefiori glass uses sliced patterned rods placed by hand and Sommerso glass needs colour layers added in exact sequence, where a single mistake can ruin hours of work. Large Murano chandeliers may contain hundreds of hand-shaped parts and some luxury pieces from Venini or Barovier & Toso sell for more than €20,000. Auction prices for rare mid-century Murano designs can pass €100,000. Murano workshops produce far fewer pieces than factory plants, where a limited numbers create collector demand and many buyers view Murano glass as decorative art rather than plain home décor.