The Art of Craftsmanship
Imagine molten liquid glass glowing at 1,300 °C. Into its surface you press sheets of pure gold leaf, then incise fine lines, and finally merge it all so that the gold becomes inseparable from the glass. What you see is not mere decoration, but alchemy—and that is at the heart of the Maestro glass.
Every Reign Maestro glass begins as molten art — shaped by breath, guided by fire, and perfected by hand. It’s a process that cannot be rushed, replicated, or forgotten — because craftsmanship is a gift, and every piece tells its story.
Forged in Murano
Born in Fire
In the heart of Venice, where glassmaking was born, master artisans still work as their ancestors did. Molten glass is gathered by hand, turned on the rod, and shaped through breath and motion. Each movement is instinctive — a dance between heat, gravity, and centuries of practice. Then, the glass cools for up to 72 hours, allowing strength and clarity to form naturally. The result: perfect balance, and unmistakable brilliance.
The glassmaker must respect thermal discipline — too fast cooling, and you crack; too slow, and the shape warps. Only with perfect control can the glass serve as a canvas for gold and incision.
- Maestro glass panels (and glass objects) begin in a hot furnace. The masters strain the liquid glass at around 1,200–1,400 °C into metal molds / forms.
- After forming, the glass panels or forms are tempered / annealed gradually over 48 to 72 hours to relieve internal stress.
- Once cooled, the raw glass is ground / wire-grinded to correct imperfections, and polished to ensure a clean, stable canvas for further decoration.
- This base stage must yield a glass surface that is stable, dimensionally correct, and free (as much as possible) of flaws — so that subsequent gold / engraving work can proceed without risk.
The Alchemy of Gold
The Gold
Every detail of Reign glass is rooted in rarity — none more so than its 24-karat gold. The gold begins as solid leaf, hammered until it’s thinner than air. It is then hand-laid across the glass and returned to the kiln, where heat fuses it into the surface — not painted, not plated, but bonded for eternity. What remains is warmth and shimmer that can only come from real gold touched by real fire.
Each gold leaf is laid down like a skin — fragile, pure, vulnerable — and only by the artisan’s hand is it transformed into intricate lines that dance with the underlying glass.
The use of gold leaf (or gilding) in glass decoration is an ancient technique with roots in Byzantine and Venetian glass traditions. The term “foglia d’oro” (gold leaf) and “graffita” (scratch-or incised gilding) are used in Murano decorative lexicon.
- Gold is fused at 1,750 °C, then strained and laminated into stripes, later cut into squares.
- Those squares are beaten / hammered to make extremely thin leafs. The description poetically notes a synergy of strength (hammering) and delicacy (cutting).
- Once you have thin gold leaf sheets, they are laid carefully onto the glass surface (which has been prepared to receive them) prior to engraving.
- The glass surface is first coated with a binder / adhesive (traditionally a resin or “pine-scented compound” in Venetian tradition) so the gold can adhere temporarily.
- The gold leaf is then placed over the glass, sheet by sheet, onto that adhesive. This is a delicate operation: the gold leaf is extremely fragile.
- After applying the gold, the artisan uses tools (needles, engraving wheels, etc.) to incise or scratch away portions of the gold leaf to reveal patterns or motifs. This is often done before the final firing so that the incised areas become integrated.
The Signature of the Maestro
The Engraving
Once the gold has fused, the artisan begins the most delicate stage: engraving. Using diamond-point tools, each mark is cut by hand — deliberate, permanent, and unrehearsed. There are no templates or machines. Every line is a gesture, every stroke a signature. What you hold is not only glass — it’s the artist’s imprint, forever captured in gold and light.
An engraving is not just a cut — it is a dialogue between gold, glass, tool, and fire. One wrong move and the piece is marred forever.
Once the gold leaf is in place, the artistic process of engraving / scratching / etching begins. This is where the “Maestro” signature really emerges.
There are several styles of engraving used in Murano / Venetian glass:
- Diamond point engraving: using a diamond or hard point tool to inscribe delicate lines on the surface.
- Rotina / wheel engraving: using a small metal wheel (rotating) to incise different depths, creating relief effects.
- Sabbia engraving: a sandblast technique to abrade parts of the surface.
- Acid etching: applying acid (with masking) to corrode parts of the surface, leaving the masked parts intact.
In the specific gold + engraving method (graffita / gold scratching), the artisan uses a needle / sharp tool to incise the gold leaf (and sometimes slightly into the glass) following a precise design.
After the incision, the piece is fired in a kiln so that the glass and gold vitrify and unite the gold fuses into or bonds with the glass surface.
Sometimes further ornamentation is added via vitreous enamel after engraving.
- The engraving must be precise and confident — there is little margin for error. A stray scratch or slip ruins the gold leaf.
- The depth of incision must be controlled: too shallow, and the gold won’t reveal contrast; too deep, and you risk damaging the glass or creating stress points.
- The alignment: the gold must cover evenly; the binder/adherent must be just right; if the gold doesn’t adhere well, it may flake or mis-align during firing.
- The thermal behavior: during firing, different expansion coefficients or uneven thickness could stress the glass — only a master can balance these factors.
Made by Hand. Marked by Soul.
The Human Touch
Every Reign piece carries imperfections — the kind that only hands can create. A slight variation in curve, a subtle irregularity in engraving — each one proof of human artistry. No automation. No mass production. Just Murano masters continuing a lineage that began centuries ago.
What you see is not applied ornament perched on glass — it is a transformation where gold and glass become one. The engraved gold lines are locked in by fire.
After engraving, there is a critical phase where the design is locked into the glass by heat, and final finishing ensures aesthetic integrity.
- As described earlier, after gold leaf application + incision, the object is fired in a kiln. This firing causes the gold and glass to vitrify together, merging the materials at a molecular / surface bond level.
- This step is crucial: if the temperature is too low, the bonding is weak; if too high, the gold might diffuse or distort or glass might deform.
- After firing, there may be further polishing to refine the surface, remove residual roughness, and bring up luster.
- The engraved lines might be cleaned, dusted, and carefully checked to ensure no loose gold fragments.
- In some instances, additional enamels or color accents may be added afterward to highlight or shade parts.
- The goal is that the gold design now becomes integral to the glass: it is not superficial, but chemically bonded.
- Because of that, the piece can age (if well cared for) without the gold “peeling” off, as would happen with less rigorous gilding methods.
- The engraving / gold lines then “live” within and on the glass — giving a sense of depth, permanence, and richness.
The Maestro Collection
The Pinnacle
The pinnacle of Reign’s craft — six glasses and one ice bucket, all born in Murano. 24-karat gold, hand-engraved, and numbered. A true collector’s edition, made in partnership with Venetian masters. Every set arrives with its certificate of authenticity and your place in Reign history.
Hold it to the light—watch the gold lift from the surface and live within the glass.
Shimmer & contrast: Engraved gold that catches and releases light.
Negative space: Patterns revealed by what’s removed, not just what remains.
Depth & layering: Gold lines that seem to float inside the glass body.
Light play: Candlelight = warm ember glow; daylight = quiet, confident gleam.
Edges & transitions: Crisp where needed, softened where the hand decided.
Tactile detail: Subtle ridges you can feel—proof of the artisan’s touch.
Human signature: Minute variations in line weight and spacing. No two alike.
A Legacy in Every Pour
Closing
Craftsmanship is more than how something is made — it’s the story it tells. At Reign, each glass carries the soul of Venice: born in fire, crowned in gold, and destined to be held.
Pour something worthy of it.
Discover the Collection