Put some heart in the holidays

Magical blown glass ornaments are of German origins. However, the artisans on the tiny Venetian island of Murano have been cooking up timelessly beautiful pieces since the year 1291. The Germans have only been at it since 1597. And, while remarkable ornaments come out of the Thuringian Forest in Lauscha, Germany, the creations from Murano Island near Venice, Italy are infused with 24K gold.

Take for instance this beautiful heart. It was created by a master Murano artisan using a 5th century technique called lampworking, in which the glass is heated with a handheld torch or lamp instead of an oven. Accented with fanciful swirls of color kissed with 24K gold leaf, this piece of art is just the thing for bringing some heart to the holidays.

Red Ribbon, shown, not included.