In the final decades of the long 19th century and into the early 20th, a quiet revolution shimmered beneath the surface of Edwardian elegance. As women across Britain and parts of the Western world mobilized for the right to vote, the visual language of their movement took hold not only in banners and sashes, but …
In 1956, a dazzling innovation revolutionized the world of costume jewelry and decorative arts: the introduction of the Aurora Borealis crystal by Swarovski. Named after the shimmering natural phenomenon of the northern lights, these rainbow-hued crystals introduced an entirely new aesthetic language to mid-century fashion. The breakthrough was not merely a matter of surface decoration …
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During the darkest years of the Great Depression, when the American economy had all but collapsed and millions were unemployed, the federal government intervened with a series of sweeping social and economic reforms collectively known as the New Deal. Championed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1939, the New Deal aimed to provide …
Read more “How New Deal Policies Boosted U.S. Beadworking Cottage Industries”
From the ornate elegance of Art Nouveau to the streamlined sophistication of Art Deco, stamped metal filigree bead caps played a subtle yet crucial role in the evolution of jewelry design during the early 20th century. These small but intricate components, crafted from thin sheets of brass, copper, or other pliable metals, were pressed into …
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Among the most evocative and rare forms of vintage beads are those carved from bone and ivory aboard 18th and 19th-century whaling ships—scrimshaw bone beads, miniature artifacts born of isolation, craftsmanship, and maritime culture. These beads were not merely decorative elements but embodied the convergence of necessity, boredom, and artistic impulse during the long, perilous …
In the landscape of vintage beads, few materials capture the blend of resilience, elegance, and economy quite like milk glass. Often overlooked in favor of more vibrant or sparkling materials, milk glass beads emerged as a quiet symbol of Depression-era ingenuity—a way to maintain beauty and style during one of America’s most challenging economic periods. …
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The 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, officially known as Expo 58, was more than a global exhibition of scientific advancement and architectural marvels—it was also a defining moment in postwar European culture, optimism, and design. Held in the Belgian capital just over a decade after the devastation of World War II, the fair became a showcase …
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Among the vast landscape of vintage beads, few are as enduringly beloved as the simple, spherical Czech glass druk. Unfussy in form yet endlessly versatile, druks—pronounced “drooks”—have been a cornerstone of beadwork and jewelry design for well over a century. Produced primarily in the northern regions of the Czech Republic, particularly in the historic glassmaking …
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For many who came of age in the United States during the mid-to-late 20th century, the plastic lanyard keychains woven at summer camp, after-school programs, or scout gatherings evoke a deep sense of nostalgia. Known colloquially as “gimp,” these colorful, plastic craft strips—also referred to as boondoggle, scoubidou, or rexlace—were staples of youth crafting culture …
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Long before glass, metal, or synthetic materials were used in adornment, humanity turned to the natural world to create the earliest forms of personal expression. Among the oldest known beads in the archaeological record are those made from ostrich eggshell, a material both durable and workable that has been used for tens of thousands of …
Read more “From Cave to Catwalk Prehistoric Ostrich Shell Beads”