Italian cops shatter fake Venetian glass ring

[fossilfly]

I don't know any more than the article states, but good news! I'll ask around to see if there is any more info available.


************From the AP news wire**********





Italian cops shatter fake Venetian glass ring

June 25, 2010
MILAN—Italian authorities say they have smashed a Murano glass counterfeiting ring.

The tax police commander in Venice said Friday that authorities had confiscated 11 million artifacts fraudulently carrying stickers from the glassblowing Venetian island of Murano. Walter Mazon said the items, including glass necklaces, masks, drinking glasses, key chains and earrings, were made in China.

The items, worth some 13 million euros ($16 million), were bound for tourist shops in Venice.

Three suspects, including two on Murano, face charges of commercial fraud and fines of up to 20,000 euros.

[TxSilver]

:cool:

Maybe we need to turn the Italian police loose on eBay.

Anita

[annie04bell]

It never ceases to amaze me what is listed on eBay as being Murano.

[ClownMan]

Fake Murano glass is everywhere in Venice. Over the past 10 years it's just got silly. I go on a glass run each year and have seen it get worse each time I visit. I will be going again this November, it will be interesting to see if things are different. All of the fake stuff I see is usually quite easy to spot, but to the untrained tourist you'll get a fake. The fake stuff seems to be priced at the general tourist not the Murano collector at €5 to €200. Not seen any really high priced fake stuff.

[cubby01]

11 Million items worth estimated 13M euros? At an average €1.20 per piece street value they didn't seem to be aiming very high. Surely a case of 'quantity over quality'. They probably could have made as much selling 'replacement' labels on ebay.

[fossilfly]

Good point, I didnt pick that up. Most of it was probably jewelry.