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Above a selection of antique beads from the author's collection. Left to right: Faceted jet, crystal beads from the 1920's, Ivory, carved wood and enameled 19th Chinese bead necklace and a quartz crystal choker at the top.

Beads

The Antique Column
By Nadja Maril
Photos by Kimi Raspa

Among the small details of a civilization are the ornaments that it chooses to wear for adornment or other purposes: feather headdresses, colorful sashes, carved sticks stuck into topknots, or perhaps ornate necklaces made of shimmering beads. Stretching back to the beginning of recorded history, as long as men and women have been creating jewelry they have been creating some type of bead. Perhaps the bead is simply a miniature conch shell with a hole drilled through the center for a length of fiber or a piece of clay that has been baked in the sun with a hole conveniently placed in the center for stringing. But regardless of their size, shape, and composition, beads can easily be fashioned into earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and even rings. They can be sewn on clothing, pillows, bags, draperies, or rugs or hung from lighting fixtures. With such versatile uses, it's no wonder that beads are a popular collectible. New or old, domestic or exotic, they are easy and fun for craft enthusiasts to work with. But since this is the antique column, let's focus on old beads.

My grandmother, who came to the United States from Russia with her family, as a baby, at the start of the 20th century, was raised to be both frugal and resourceful. Like many in her generation she saved the snippets from clothes and finery that other, more affluent families would likely throw away, including lace trim, collars, and cuffs. She had jars of buttons and she had jars of beads. Many of the beads in her jars were the remnants of broken necklaces that she was saving to be restrung: lavender crystal, glass beads coated with an opaque lacquer to resemble pearls, cream-colored beads or celluloid created to resemble ivory, and a piece or two of real ivory as well. I liked to play with all those interesting baubles, and on taking the beads out of their glass containers attempted to string them into necklaces, first for my dolls and then for myself.

left to right: Foil backed beads, enameled beads, beads created from roads of colored glass and fused together, in vibrant colors. Wooden beads in different colors and shapes from Africa. (Beads courtesy of Bead Bungalow.)

Grandmother always told me that a good-quality necklace should be strung with a knot on each side of each bead. She was right: when there are knots, even when the necklace breaks, the beads will not be lost. The knots also protect the beads from rubbing against each other and causing damage. Tiny beads, called spacers, can add a level of protection and isolate the larger lovely beads in a necklace to be admired when knotting is too difficult or costly.

Her beads were primarily from the late 19th century and early 20th century. As I looked in books and visited museums I saw beads worn by the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, as well as by American Indians, East Indians, and African tribes.

As an enterprising antique dealer during the late 1970s and early 1980s I seized on the concept of selling bead necklaces because I liked jewelry but could not afford to invest in expensive gems. Beaded necklaces of jet, crystal, amber, composition, and glass filled five display cases in my 18-foot-long booth at antique shows in convention centers. More necklaces were stored underneath my tables to replenish the pieces on display as they sold. I did so much business in beads that other dealers used to call me "the Bead Lady." But a good idea never remains exclusive for long. Soon every other jewelry dealer on the circuit was also selling beads. Jewelry designers started buying them to mix into their necklaces. They became popular in magazines, newer versions of older styles were created,[Okay?] and the beads of the 19th and early 20th century were marketed as the new look of the late 20th and emerging 2lst centuries. I sold out my inventory and moved on to other things-lamps.

But I've never stopped liking beads, antique ones as well as newly created unusual examples from around the world. Beads have a long history as items of trade, and the trade routes of various merchant cultures can be traced through the location of their beads centuries later. One of my favorite types of bead is the millefiori beads made on Murano, an island in Venice's lagoon in one of the glassmaking centers of Europe-Italy. Their name translates into English as many flowers. They were created from colored rods of glass that were then sliced to create the illusion of multiple flower petals. European traders and colonists traded the milllefiori beads to natives for gold, silver, and palm oil when they arrived in Africa. Hundreds of years later a tourist will purchase an African necklace as an example of ethnic jewelry, but the origin of the millefiori beads that are a focal point of the necklace is European.

The small, bright-colored glass beads we have come to associate with the beadwork sewn on bags, moccasins, and belts by the Plains Indians were not created in America at all. The Czechoslovakian and Italian tiny molded glass seed beads were brought by French, Spanish, and English traders. Before the Europeans arrived, American Indians used shells, stones, and hollow porcupine quills for their beadwork. Using the seed beads, their beading became more elaborate and exquisite, and it is highly prized by collectors.

Beads made of semi precious gem stones: amythyst, pink opal, peach aventurina, turquoise, tiger's eyes, rainbow florite, moonstone, and crazy lace agate sold by the strand can be strung together to make different types of jewelry. (Beads courtesy of Bead Bungalow.)

Antique beads are more valuable in their original stringing or restored to their original stringing or setting when possible. How they are used can tell as much of a story as the beads themselves. Many jewelry stores offer restringing services to customers. Odd, loose, antique beads are fair game for crafters who wish to fashion these old beauties into new jewelry creations. However, it is not necessary to put a bead into a piece of jewelry to admire its beauty. Beads can be displayed in compartmented trays or individually mounted on wires.

There are many reference books on beads. A good one to start with is Beads of the World: A Collector's Guide with Price Reference, by Peter Francis, which can help you start identifying the type and origin of the bead you like. Then use books on specific types of beads to learn more details about their manufacture and history. The library and the Internet can help you search for more information. Visits to museums, shops specializing in beads, and jewelry and craft shows will provide further inspiration.

Editor Nadja Maril has been writing an antique column for various magazines and newspapers for more than 20 years. A former antique dealer, author, and consultant, she invites you to send photographs and suggestions for future columns to 929 West St. Suite 208A, Annapolis MD 21401 or email Nmaril@whatsupmag.com