Beads and Bead Making: A Brief History

By: Mark Saunders
Since time immemorial, humans have been finding ways to accentuate what they have to work with. We have been blessed with the ingenuity to craft things from nature and to use what we can find around us to our advantage. In the area of aesthetics and personal accents, one of the most longstanding and popular accessories are beads.

Look around you today and you will know what I mean. Humans of both sexes seem to lean towards the use of beads in many ways. From bags to clothes to jewelry beads are continuously being utilized. Have you ever thought of where beads and the practice of using them came from?

Beading has its roots in our ancient ancestors. Even before the modern” civilizations emerged, the early humans were already practicing some sort of beading. They would make use of sea shells, bones, seeds, seed pods, nut shells, and even teeth. In those times, however, the use of these accessories was more for a religious purpose than aesthetic.

With the rise of the Egyptian civilization, the knowledge of making glass was discovered. Naturally, glass beads became the norm. The ancient Egyptians became very adept at working with glass and they came up with countless combinations to make glass beads of various shades and hues. Not only that, they learned how to combine the glass beads with other precious and semi-precious metals and gem stones. The result was high quality and absolutely beautiful pieces of jewelry, which became sought after throughout the whole world.

The rest of the old world was not immune to the beauty of beads. The ancient Romans were known to trade beads. Even the violent Vikings and the Celts had their own brand of bead making experts. In North America, the Native American Indians have always incorporated beads into their culture. Even today, Native American beading is one of the most popular.

The people of Asia also have their own bead culture. Thailand, Indonesia, and other neighboring countries make use of the natural stones and gems found in their surroundings. Their beads are actually some of the most sought after beads in the world market today. Indeed, beads and beading have come a long way since that first instance when our ancestor picked up a piece of bone and strung it around his neck.

As you can see, beads and the art of beading are not limited by geography. Even better, with the trend in globalization today, people from all corners of the world have better access to beads from different countries and cultures. You can find beads in specialty shops in your area. Better yet, utilize the power of the Internet and can even find beads originating from various countries online.

The Jewelweaver is an online store that offers the best beads from all over the world. Their stock of beads includes beads made of glass, silver, opal, pearl, coral, crystal and more. They also offer tools and supplies that a beadaholic must have. For more information and to see their current stock, visit their web site at: http://www.jewelweaver.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:For more information please visit www.jewelweaver.com/