The 19th century was a period of opulent sartorial display, and nowhere was this more meticulously executed than in the detail work of decorative military and ceremonial dress. Among the most visually arresting of these embellishments were beaded epaulettes—shoulder adornments that blended function with fashion, often constructed with an intricacy that rivaled the finest embroidery. …
The psychedelic explosion of the 1960s transformed not only music but also the visual language through which that music was communicated. Album-cover art became a crucial medium for projecting the ethos of the era—experimentation, transcendence, rebellion, and mysticism—often incorporating dense layers of color, surreal imagery, and cultural symbolism. Within this visual tapestry, beads held a …
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 dramatically reshaped political borders, economies, and trade networks across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics. Among the many commodities affected by this seismic shift was one of the region’s oldest and most evocative natural materials: Baltic amber. For centuries, amber had been both a local treasure …
In the stylistic aftermath of 1970s punk, the early 1980s gave rise to a new era of creative rebellion: post-punk. Less about pure aggression and more focused on artful deconstruction, post-punk culture embraced fragmentation, irony, and experimentation in music, fashion, and personal expression. Nowhere was this more visible than in the distinctive jewelry of the …
Read more “Post-Punk DIY Safety-Pin and Bead Earrings of the 1980s”
In the aftermath of World War II, the landscape of European decorative arts underwent a dramatic reconfiguration, and nowhere was this more vibrantly expressed than in the glass bead industry of West Germany. Amidst the rubble and reconstruction, the 1950s witnessed an extraordinary boom in the production and export of pressed glass floral beads, a …
Read more “The 1950s Boom in West German Pressed Glass Floral Beads”
The long, tubular beads known as hair pipes have become one of the most iconic elements in Native American adornment, especially among the Plains tribes such as the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota peoples. Originally carved from bone and used in breastplates, chokers, and ceremonial regalia, these elongated beads carry deep cultural and symbolic weight. Their …
Read more “Dakota Hair Pipe Beads: Bone Origins and 1970s Replicas”
In the ornate world of Victorian fashion, the 1870s witnessed a wave of nostalgia that found expression in an aesthetic movement known as the Renaissance Revival. Inspired by the opulence, symbolism, and craftsmanship of 15th- and 16th-century European courts, this revival influenced not only architecture and furniture but also the details of personal adornment. Amid …
Read more “Faux Lapis Glass Beads: Renaissance Revival of the 1870s”
In the rich and syncretic world of Mexican devotional art, few objects embody the intersection of faith, folk tradition, and personal narrative as vividly as ex-votos and milagros. Among these deeply symbolic offerings, beads—particularly those incorporated into milagro-style assemblages—hold a special place. While the term “milagro” means “miracle” in Spanish, in practice it refers to …
Rocailles—small, rounded seed beads—have been used for centuries in everything from religious vestments and Native American regalia to haute couture embroidery and beaded purses. Despite their uniform size and humble appearance, rocailles have a long and intricate production history. Determining whether a rocallie bead was handmade or machine-cut is crucial not only for collectors and …
Read more “Handmade Versus Machine-Cut Rocailles: How to Tell?”
René Lalique, the renowned French designer whose name became synonymous with Art Nouveau and later Art Deco luxury, transformed the way glass was perceived in the realm of jewelry. Among his many innovations, his glass bead chokers from the early 20th century stand as masterful intersections of craftsmanship, material science, and high design. These pieces, …
Read more “Lalique’s Glass Bead Chokers: Identifying Authentic Signatures”