Vulcanite and Vinyl Heishi Beads

Our selection of colorful "sequin" style African heishi beads work great in stretch bracelets and other colorful jewelry! While these beads look like miniature phonograph records, they're not made from actual record albums. Originally, this bead style was made from vulcanite (vulcanized hard rubber), but testing has shown that some are made from other materials as well, including vinyl. Our selection includes both vulcanite heishi and vinyl heishi -- but they weren't made from record albums. These beads were most likely made in Europe and exported to West Africa for trade.

In addition to strung designs, these colorful heishi beads make great washers for riveted jewelry. See bottom of page for jewelry ideas and projects!