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Styles of beads can be defined in terms of several factors, such as shape,
hole size, material, and country of origin.
There are essentially two types of bead
shapes: On the one hand there are geometrical beads
("round
beads", that is spherical ones, being the classic shape). On the other
hand there are representational beads (that is, ones which
are shaped like some other object). Examples include insect
beads, skull
beads, and heart-shaped
beads.
Bead hole size can vary from extremely narrow, which is characteristic
of pearls and seed beads, to very large. In some large-hole
beads the hole even takes up most of the space in the bead,
for example in pony or crow
beads. Correspondingly the choice of stringing
materials ranges from very slender silk thread to stout leather
cord.
Bead materials are nearly unlimited, given the necessary condition
stated above, that they be solids. (No beads are known to have been made
from liquids, gases or plasmas!) We'll talk about three categories
of bead materials: first, organic; second, inorganic; and third, manmade
bead materials.
Among the most ancient beads known are those made from organic materials
like seashells and bird's eggshells, circa 100,000 years old. These are
apparently the oldest form of jewelry, and some researchers consider them
to be the earliest signs of human symbolic thought and language. Many
other organic substances are made into natural-material
beads, including bone, horn, wood, plant stems, seeds, nuts,
and dried sap. However, fossilized organic materials (like amber
and jet) are considered to be gemstones.
Any inorganic materials having a pleasingly regular crystalline
structure and usable as raw material for beads is termed a gemstone; thus
this word refers to hard, durable substances extracted from the earth
rather than directly from a living organism. Examples of popularly-used
gemstone
beads include turquoise, jet, amethyst, jasper, and rhyolite.
Manmade materials for beads include any substances created
through a manufacturing process: plastics, metals (commonly subdivided
into base-metal and precious), and glass are the most common. Glass
beads are a particularly well-elaborated type, and in fact glass
is the classic bead material; subtypes include blown glass, fused glass,
powder glass, crystal
beads such as those made by the Swarovski company of Austria,
lampwork
glass beads including "Pandora"-bead type charms such as Calypso
beads, and more.
Countries of origin of beads run an interesting range which reflects
the role of beads throughout human prehistory and history. Africa is the
source of the oldest prehistoric beads, mentioned above. Somewhat more
recent are beads such as pre-Columbian pieces from the Americas. Ancient
historic beads are found in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions,
among others. Within the last few centuries, bead manufacture has had
an important center on the island of Murano, in Venice, Italy, which supplied
large quantities of "trade
beads" to be used as currency in Africa and other regions
colonized by Europeans. The bead-making industry spread through Europe,
notably to the Czech lands (also known as Bohemia or the Czech Republic)
and Austria. At present, bead manufacturing occurs in several more-recently
industrialized nations, notably Japan (where many seed
beads are made), the United States of America, and Israel (where many
silver
beads are made).
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