Beads: A - I
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African Amber
Material: Resin
African amber remains one of the most popular beads from the African trade. Imported into Africa during the 1700s, African amber beads have different shapes associated with different African regions. Made from resin, not fossilized tree resin, African amber beads have been handed down from generation to generation. Antique amber from Mauritania includes oblong and diamond shaped beads, often with two or three well worn drilled holes to allow Maure women to wear them as hair ornaments. African amber is often found in cherry, black, brown, yellow, orange and dark honey with fine black crack lines.
African Clay Spacers
Material: Clay
Made of clay by the same women who work for a fair living wage under the Fair Trade Kazuri bead company, these spacers offer a refined texture.
African Sodalite
Material: Natural Stone
African sodalite is a dark blue natural stone with faint white stripes. African sodalite is said to stimulate thought and provide a balance between the heart and the mind.
Agate
Material: Natural Stone
Agate is a natural stone, that is used widely and found in various parts of the world. Agate is said to be a stone of strength, enhancing creativity and providing balance and precision.
Agate is formed in volcanic rock and is made of chalcedony. The colors of agate are influenced by changes in pressure, temperature, and mineral content that occur during the formation process.
Amazonite
Material: Natural Stone
Amazonite is a green feldspar mineral variety that gets its color from lead and water in the feldspar crystals. Although feldspar is a common mineral, amazonite is uncommon and only found in limited locations. Amazonite is said to soothe nerves.
Antique Yemen Silver Ball
Material: Silver
Antique silver beads from Yemen with decorative elements done with hammering and soldered additions. The style of Yemen silver beads is very specific to Yemen. There was a lot of trade between Yemen and Africa so that silver items were often exchanged between Yemen and North Africa and Yemen silver pieces are found in North Africa.
Antique Yoruba Brass Bells
Material: Brass
These antique brass (or copper alloy) bells were worn as hair ornaments or jewelry by the Yoruba people of West Africa. The antique bells show surface wear, holes and casting imperfections from extensive use.
Blown Glass
Material: Glass
Blown glass beads are made by inflating hot molten glass with a small amount of air through a pipe or tube.
Blue Crazy Lace Agate
Material: Natural Stone
Blue crazy lace agate is natural agate stone that is infused with a blue color to showcase the swirls and stripes in the natural agate.
Bronze Infused Purple Turquoise
Material: Natural Stone
For bronze infused purple turquoise, Blue Kingman turquoise is infused with a violet color and placed in a metal bath of bronze. This treatment emphasizes textures and colors.
Buffalo Horn
Material: Buffalo Horn
Horn beads are made from the recycled horns of Cara water buffalo, African Cape buffalo, or Asian buffalo. Some buffalo horn beads are old or antique. Cara horn is naturally black but it can be bleached and dyed in different colors, including white, bone, light or dark brown, amber and deep red. Cara horn beads can be polished to a smooth, shiny finish and designs can be etched into them, and the African Cape buffalo has long horns. The Asian Water buffalo is the largest of the Bovine animals family, which includes yak, bison, African buffalo and wild cattle.
Carnalite
Material: Natural Stone
Carnallite is a mineral that absorbs moisture from the air. It was named after a Prussian mining engineer and it is incorporated into many Andie K pieces.
Cattle Bone from Kenya
Material: Cattle Bone & Wood
Cattle bone is highly durable and its beads have been handed down from generation to generation. Handcrafted from bone, the beads are dyed using the batik method, of drawing wax designs on the bone, dipping the bone in colored dye, and removing the dried wax to expose interesting and creative patterns. The center of the bead often is a wooden peg that is dyed the same color as the bead.
Carved Wood
Material: Wood
Different types of wood are used for these carved beads in various shapes and designs. Dyed or painted wood has been used for centuries to make beads.
Chinese Cultured Pearls
Material: Pearl
Pearls are the only gemstone that are grown in an oyster or another mollusk. A pearl is formed when a foreign substance, usually a parasite (not a grain of sand) enters the soft tissue of the mantle and irritates the mantle. The irritation forces the mantle to release nacre, which is the same substance that lines the inside of the shell and over time the nacre builds up layer by layer. Cultured pears are those pearls where the irritation is induced by human intervention, such as the Chinese cultured pearls pictured above. Imitation or synthetic pearls are made of glass, plastic, or shells. Pearls are said to provide purity, honesty, and integrity. See description of Freshwater pearls.
Copper Beads
Material: Metal
Copper is a metal that ranges in color from reddish brown to dark brown. Copper beads can be made from solid copper or a copper alloy. They are often made in bright highly polished copper, which can be treated with a thin coating to preserve its high luster. If not highly polished, copper beads can be coated with an antique finish to make them look oxidized and darker than highly polished copper. Copper can also have a blue green patina when it oxidizes.
Coin Metal from Africa
Material: Brass, Silver, Gold, Nickel, Zinc, Copper
Coin metal beads from Africa, typically from Ethiopia or Nigeria, are made of a mixture of metals, shaped into discs, and were often used as currency. Metals used to make coin metal beads include brass, silver, gold, nickel, zinc and copper. Sometimes melted down coins were used to make coin beads often with a mixture of brass and silver.
Copal
Material: Tree Resin
Copal is a tree resin similar to amber but with a lower melting point. The beautiful copal bead in this photograph is an antique from the African trade.
African Antique Venetian
Material: Glass
These Venetian beads have delicate designs and were used in the African trade.
Afrian Map Jasper
Material: Natural Stone
African map jasper is a natural stone from Madagascar with light and dark markings reminiscent of patterns and colors of some African animals. Jasper is said to represent balance, grounding, and relaxation.
African Horn & Bone Rondelle
Material: African Buffalo Horn & Bone
African horn and bone rondelles are typically made from buffalo but can also be made from cattle, sheep, and camels. More rustic than the highly polished horn rondelles, these rondelles are seen in black, cream, honey, burgundy, and brown.
American Freeform Ceramic
Material: Ceramic & Precious Metals
Ceramic in a rustic shape and glazed with precious metals is made by American artists.
Amethyst
Material: Crystal Quartz
Amethyst is a natural crystal quartz stone that comes in many colors, often reddish-purple or green dut to temperatures it was subjected to during its formation. Amethyst comes from the Greek word “amethystos,” meaning “sober,” and it is said to bring calmness, clarity, and sobriety.
Art Glass
Material: Glass
An art glass bead is covered by threaded tiny glass seedbeads in a variety of colors, patterns and shapes.
Aurora Borealis
Material: Glass, Crystal, Lucite & Metallic Coating
Aurora Borealis (AB) beads can be glass, crystal, or Lucite beads with a sprayed-on metallic coating that produces an iridescent rainbow hue on one side of the bead.
Asian Sherpa Coral
Material: Glass
Asian coral, or “Sherpa coral,” is a glass bead from China in a reddish or orangish color that was traded in Tibet as coral. Historically, coral was imported into Tibet to provide materials to produce intricate jewelry as a substitute for true coral.
Aventuring
Material: Natural Stone
Aventurine is an opaque quartz or chalcedony with mica, hematite or other minerals found in it. Aventurine naturally combined with these minerals has a glistening aura. Aventurine is usually green, but it may also be orange, brown, yellow, blue, or gray.
Bali-Style Spacers
Material: Metal
Bali style silver metal spacers that reflect the traditional style of silver- smiths from Bali.
Cane Glass
Material: Glass
Cane glass beads, or furnace glass beads, are formed by fusing small canes of colored glass into a larger glass rod. Each bead is sliced in desired lengths from long glass rods or canes, often decorated with different colored stripes.
Carved Soap Stone
Material: Natural Stone
Soap stone is a relatively soft stone that has been used in carvings for centuries.
Carved Stone
Material: Natural Stone
Soft stone that has been carved by hand.
Chinese Painted Glass
Material: Glass
Painted glass beads from China look like miniature works of art.
Chalcedony
Material: Natural Stone
Chalcedony is a form of quartz stone found around the world in most colors and combination of colors. Stones in the chalcedony family include blue chalcedony (featured above), agate, jasper, onyx, tiger’s eye and chryscolla. Chalcedony is said to promote emotional balance, stamina and endurance.
Chinese Painted Wood
Material: Wood
Hand-painted wooden beads in various shapes feature delicate patterns in warm floral tones.
Coral
Material: Coral
Coral is a natural, hard substance, which is not a mineral, formed by small marine animals and plants at the bottom of the sea. Red coral is the most prized color and it is said to have mysterious and sacred powers. Pictured above is white coral dyed red.
Corrugated
Material: Base & Precious Metals
Corrugated beads have a surface that is molded into alternating groves and ridges.
Cote d’Ivoire
Material: Brass, Copper, Bronze
The Baoule people of Cote d’Ivoire–the Ivory Coast–are known for their sculpture and art. They make brass, copper and bronze beads in the lost wax technique or “wax cast technique.”
Crackle Glass
Material: Glass
Crackle glass beads are cooled quickly while the glass is hot, creating many small, hairline cracks inside the beads.
Crackle Lucite
Material: Lucite
As with crackle glass beads, crackle Lucite beads are subjected to cold temperature while the lucite is still hot, creating many small hairline cracks on the inside of the beads.
Czech Crystal
Material: Crystal
Czech, “Bohemian crystal” or “fire-polished crystal” beads are made in an area called Jablonec and Nisou in Bohemia, Czech Republic. Glass beads have been made in this area since the 1500s.
Drum-Shaped Banjara
Material: Sliver & Copper
Northern mridangam, pakhavaj or dhol, double-sided drums, have been used extensively in southern and northern Indian music for centuries. These silver with copper drum-shaped beads, like the Mango-shaped Banjara beads were made by Banjaras (gypsies) in silver and copper.
Dalmation Agate
Material: Natural Stone
Dalmatian agate is a type of agate with silicone dioxide spots that are darker than the base color and look like spots on Dalmatian dogs.
Dyed Agate
Material: Natural Stone
Dyed Agate is natural agate dyed to change or deepen its natural color.
Emerald Stones
Material: Natural Stone
Emeralds are natural green stones that are said to encourage clear vision, healing and love. These beads are emerald faceted rondelles.
Thai Etched Buddha Prayer Bead
Material: Water Buffalo Horn
Made from water buffalo horn, these vintage beads feature an etched image of the seated Buddha. They were once used on prayer bead strings.
Ethiopian Carved Camel Bone
Material: Camel Bone
Made from camel femurs or thigh bones, these beads are recycled camel bone from Ethiopia. They feature traditional carvings branded into the bones. The beads are then dipped into a black mixture that gives the indented branded patterns a black color.
Ethiopian Coptic Cross Penant
Material: Base Metal
Coptic crosses have been worn by Ethiopian and North African Christians since conversion to christianity as long as 1,800 years ago. Handmade in silver-colored or gold-colored base metal, these crosses follow century-old production methods. They are rustic and often tarnished. Their designs vary widely, indicating the town or province where they originated. Most crosses are made using the lost wax technique and exhibit elaborate designs showing Latin, Greek, Egyptian and Celtic influences. See description of Cote d’Ivoire brass beads.
Ethiopian Copper Brass Spacers
Material: Copper Brass Alloy
Ethiopian Copper Spacers
Material: Copper
Ethiopian Copper Bicone
Material: Copper
Ethiopian Ebony & Precious Metal
Material: Wood & Precious Metal
These hand-carved ebony wooden beads from Ethiopia are carved in graduated sizes and have hollow centers. They are painted with symbols in precious metal paints of gold, silver and copper.
Fire Polished Glass
Material: Glass
Like Czech glass, fire polished glass is faceted glass carved by a lapidary or stonecutter who shapes the glass with tools and techniques, including flaking, grinding, cutting, and polishing.
Ethiopian Vaseline
Material: Glass
Vaseline beads are faceted, rondelle-shaped glass beads. Their colors are based on the amount of salts in the glass. Originating back to Ethiopia in the early 1900s, they were a part of the African trade. Vaseline beads were made in bright green, red, amethyst, yellow and an opaque blue green. Vaseline beads remain highly prized African trade beads, many of which show evidence of cherished use.
Ethiopian Silver Bicone
Material: Silver
Ethiopian Silver Spacers
Material: Silver
Ethiopian Silver
Material: Silver
Silver beads from Ethiopia with a delicate carved ring around the middle.
Fluorite
Material: Natural Stone
Fluorite is a calcium fluoride mineral crystal that is found in a wide range of colors, (in visible and ultra-violet light) including pinks, light and deep greens, and purple. Fluorite comes from the Latin word “fluo,” meaning “to flow.”
Fossil Coral
Material: Fossilized Coral
Fossil coral is from the fossilized remains of ancient coral reefs, not harvested from living coral reefs. The color of fossil coral depends on the amount of iron and other minerals in ground water. Red is the most prized color.
Heishi
Material: Coconut Shell
Originally linked to the Santo Domingo and San Felipe Pueblo Indians, “Heishi” are tiny handmade beads. The word “heishi” means “shell.” Pieces of shell were drilled into beads.
Howlite
Material: Natural Stone
Howlite crystals are generally colorless and are easily dyed to resemble other stones like turquoise. It was first found in Nova Scotia by a Canadian gemologist, Henry How, and it is named after him.
Indonesian Clay & Metal
Material: Clay & Metal
Handmade clay beads from Indonesia, this bead features surface designs in metal.
Indonesian Clay, Metal & Rhinestone
Material: Clay, Metal & Rhinestone
Handmade clay beads from Indonesia, this bead features intricate metal and rhinestone designs on its surface.
Garnet
Material: Natural Stone
Garnets are said to be the stones of healing, strength and protection.
Gold Metal Rhinestone
Material: Metal & Rhinestone
These gold metal beads have hand-placed rhinestones embedded in hollow spheres of metal.
Green Amethyst
Material: Natural Stone
Amethyst is a natural variety of quartz whose color depends on the temperatures it was subjected to during formation. This amethyst is green.
Green Opal Rondelles
Material: Natural Stone
These opals are green and shaped as rondelles. Opal stones range from white, red, yellow, orange, blue, green, pink, brown to black.
Hand Carved Artisan Wood
Material: Wood
Careful attention to detail is evident in these unique artisan hand-carved wooden beads.
Horn & Bone Carved Black
Material: Horn & Bone
These horn and bone beads are either dyed black or are naturally black. Horn beads are often made form the recycled horns of Cara water buffalo, African Cape buffalo or Asian buffalo. Cara Horn is naturally black in color but it can be bleached and dyed in different colors, including white, bone, light or dark brown, amber and deep red.
Horn & Bone Carved Brown
Material: Horn & Bone
Cara Horn is naturally black in color but it can be bleached and dyed in different colors, including white, bone, amber, deep red or, in this case, light or dark brown. Horn beads are often made form the recycled horns of Cara water buffalo, African Cape buffalo or Asian buffalo.
Indonesian Clay & Rhinestone
Material: Clay, Glass & Plastic
Indonesian clay and rhinestone, or sparkle beads, are handmade and covered with rhinestones of faceted plastic, glass or crystal.
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