Beads made from Glass
Glass Beads have a long and interesting history, from both a cultural and scientific perspective.
While the earliest glass beads date from about 2100B.C., the greatest expansion of the glass beadmaking industry
took place in Europe during the Renaissance. Venice, Holland, Bohemia, and Moravia (now the Czech Republic) led the industry after the
Mongols, in their Asian conquests around 1400, effectively wiped out the Asian glass beadmaking industry.
New trade routes allowed the glass industry to flourish, particularly in Venice, where strict
laws were enforced in order to maintain a monopoly on their glass beadmaking techniques; Murano and Venetian glass
beads are still considered unique and of excellent quality. Twenty-first Century artists worldwide continue to
use many ancient glass beadmaking techniques to create exquisite beads that reflect a long and vibrant history.
Symbolism & Stature
- Blue glass beads have historically been considered a way to ward off the
Evil Eye
, an idea that may
have originated in the Middle-East as a precaution against the blue-eyed European invaders during the Crusades.
- Crystals have their own powerful reputation for healing and resolving problems, and are used extensively in Chinese feng shui,
and in western cultures to
see
the future with a magical crystal ball.
- While there is no archeological evidence that glass seed beads were used to purchase the island of Manhattan, the legend has survived in stories and art.
New Yorkers today still insist on the cheapest price for any island-sized purchase.
Types of Glass Beads
- Fire Polished Beads are machine-cut glass beads that are passed
through a flame or tumbled to create a smooth surface. The surface also
can be treated to produce shimmering effects. Not quite as brilliant as crystal,
these beads are often made in the Czech Republic.
- Dichroic Glass Beads are beads made with a thin film of silver or gold fused onto the glass.
The glass and metal combination can then be pressed or lampworked.
The metallic coating shines through the glass, making each bead distinct and of exceptional beauty.
- Lampworked Beads are formed by heating a glass rod over a very hot flame, and then
wrapping the molten glass onto a mandrel. These beads can be produced commercially, but many
artisans create exceptional lampworked beads. This style of beadmaking, also known as Drawn Glass,
was the primary technique used by Venetian and Murano glass beadmakers.
- Pressed-Glass Beads are made by pouring molten glass into molds and
pressing them into shapes. As the finest examples today are made in the Czech Republic, these
beads are ofen simply called
Czech Glass
.
Swarovski Crystals
Daniel Swartz, who later changed his name to Swarovski, was born in 1862 in what is now the Czech Republic.
He apprenticed in his father's glass cutting factory, then started his own company in
Wattens, Tyrol, Austria in 1895. His patented glass grinding processes became world famous, and the Swarovski
name soon was synonymous with quality cut glass. He died in 1956.
The company's first jewelry line appeared in 1977, and the Swarovski Crystal Society was created in 1987.
With over twenty-eight thousand employees world-wide,
Swarovski
is worth more than 2.6 billion euros or more than 3 billion US dollars. Swarovski is considered the highest
standard for crystals in beadwork.
I ordered each man to be presented with something,
as strings of ten or a dozen glass beads apiece,
and thongs of leather, all which they estimated highly....
Christopher Columbus
