I wasn't exactly bored in Venice, but the change of scenery was nice. We hopped on a vaporetto and took it across the lagoon to meet with a master glass blower named Cosimo. Back in the 13th century, the Venetian Republic ordered all of its glass artists to relocate to the tiny island of Murano. Apparently the glass burning furnaces caused one too many fires.

It turns out that getting exiled was good for business. Very good in fact. Murano has been one of the world's most respected producers of fine glass for centuries. Using techniques passed from generation to generation, each piece they create-from huge windows to precious jewelry-is formed by hand.

Inside, the ovens roared and glowed brilliant orange. Men were hunkered over anvils working furiously to shape molten glass before it cooled. But it was a spread of purple hearts on Cosimo's workbench that caught my eye. Crafted by his fellow Murano glass artists, this distinctive pendant features genuine 24K gold leaf encased in a mouthblown, violet-tinted glass heart.

The undulating gold vermeil bail attaches to a prong of gold vermeil that gently curves around the smooth heart. Light dances off the delicate wrinkles and folds of the flaky gold leaf, which shimmers like a flower petal frozen in purple amber. The entire pendant dangles artfully from a gold vermeil snake chain so that she can keep your heart tucked closely to hers.