With the possible exception of the Egyptian and Syrian beadmakers of Roman times, no glass bead producers have had as much influence on their contemporaries as those of Venice. Venetian beads have been sent all over the world and have for the last several centuries dominated the trade and tastes in the commodity. These beautiful products of Venice come in an amazing diversity of styles. It has been estimated that well over 100,000 different Venetian bead varieties have been produced and each year the numbers grow, for Venetian artisans are constantly turning out new kinds of beads for their customers. This article summarizes the history of the Venetian bead industry and also discusses its diverse products.