As a little girl, I held a piece of Murano glass for the first time. I didn't know then what it was. I only knew I had never felt anything like it. That smooth glass that takes on the temperature of your body. Cool in summer, warm in winter. I never forgot it.
In 2018, I wandered through the small shops of Rome, as I always do when I visit. And then I saw them. Those pieces of jewellery. Something shifted inside me. This was what I had been dreaming of for so many years.
I bought as many as I could carry, in a tiny shop just steps from the Vatican. I will never forget it. And before the trip was over, the idea was already forming: this jewellery belongs in the Benelux.
The road there wasn't simple. Glass workshops on Murano are not always set up for wholesale. After a long search, I found Corte Murrina, an authentic and professional supplier on the island itself. I managed to secure exclusive sales rights for the Benelux.
And here is something that is actually quite funny. I have visited Italy countless times, I have been learning Italian for years and I love this country deeply. But I have never set foot on the island of Murano. That needs to change, and soon.
I had set my sights on the Benelux. But today I ship across the world, from Canada to Australia and New Zealand. And every time I wrap a piece of jewellery, it makes me happy all over again.
I am Judith Schoorlemmer. This is my passion and my life.