smalti Donà Mosaics Murano Venice

smalti italian smalti and gold of Murano in Venice

Mosaici Donà leader of smalti

For over 2,000 years smalti has been coveted by mosaic artists for its rich color and unique properties.  Smalti is the result of molten glass that has been cooled and hand-cut into uneven tesserae, usually in 1/2"  square pieces. The thickness is approximately 1/4".  

The beauty of smalti is in its imperfection.  Bubbles, variations of color and uneven surface give the mosaic 'painting' life and exuberance. Luscious gold and silver (actually 'white gold'), embedded in glass, can further elevate any mosaic piece into a work of art reminiscent of Byzantine masterpieces.  

Byzantine glass mosaic tile or smalti is the type of opaque glass tile used in classical Byzantine mosaics.  Smalti is not molded into uniform shapes like modern glass mosaic tile.  Smalti is made by mixing glass and various minerals according to traditional recipes and melting the mixture in a furnace.  The molten glass is then poured onto a slab for cooling, and then cut by hand into rectangular pieces.  The pieces are about 1/2 inch or smaller and they aren't perfect rectangles.  They vary in thickness, shape, size and color.  These natural variations in shape and color are exactly what make smalti the perfect mosaic material and allow the artist to create beautifully detailed images.  

There are many colors included in our smalti assortment:  flesh tones, earth tones, bright colors, etc.  Here are some facts about smalti or Byzantine mosaic glass: 

• Smalti is opaque glass mosaic tiles made according to traditional recipes in small batches.
• Natural variations in shape and color make smalti the ideal material for making life-like mosaics.
• Each tile is a hand-cut  -not molded like modern glass mosaic tiles.
• Shapes are irregular rectangles with occasional triangles. 
• Size of each tile is about the size of a dime or less.
• Thickness ranges from about 3/16 to 1/4 inch.
• To cover one square foot, you need between two and three pounds of smalti.
• Smalti cuts quickly and easily with the Wheeled Glass Cutters that we sell.

Mosaici Donà authentic italian smalti of Murano Venice

Authentic,  Italian handcrafted smalti and gold, there is no substitute. And now we offer this Italian smalti to you at unbeatable prices! For centuries Italian glassmakers have been perfecting the art of making smalti. The nuance of color and hue, the variants of opacity and brilliance have fascinated master glassmakers through the ages. Smalti glassmaking, the practice of centuries old glassmaking along with closely guarded secret family recipies is as active today as was in days of old. We bring to you a full palette of imported Italian smalti as well as gold smalti. So create that work of art with a work of art, smalti.