Most of the world's earliest beads have disappeared and organic material such as seeds and wood have long since decayed, but there are occasional finds of simple shapes in natural materials dating back some 10,000 years.
As the great civilizations of Egypt, the Indus Valley Mesopotamia and the Far East rose and fell, beadmaking flourished. Trade routes were established: from 6,000B.C., Mediterranean coral was traded to the cities of Asia Minor, by 3,000B.C., Afghan lapis traveled the 1,500 miles to Sumeria, and the Greeks of Mycenae traded bronze for Baltic amber.
The discovery of metal and glass produced technological advances that inspired a flowering of creativity. Graet bead traditions gradually emerged. In Venice glassmaking skills which for a period were solely a Venetian preserve, were directed into beadmaking. In turn, these skills were to travel north to Bohemia and west to the Netherlands.
Beads are increasing both in popularity and value. During the last 20 years more and more people have become fascinated by the history of beads, their significance, their collectibility and their availability.
Antique trade beads from Africa, 19th century millefiori beads from Venice, pumtek beads from India and Myanmar, dZi beads from Tibet, kiffa beads from Mauritania, chevrons, cowrie shells, Hudson Bay and white hearts - are all part of a rich history to be explored and collected.
Contemporary beadmakers especially in Europe and North America are creating beads as fine as any of their predecessors. Today's successors to those early craftsmen are still making beads: Austria continues a glass making industry once centered in Bohemia, France makes glass beads and rocailles, Spain manufactures maiolica pearl, a popular substitute for natural or cultured pearls
Lately, I have motivated by friends to create my own jewelry. I like both the Swarovski Crystal and Pearls.
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