Glass Beads
How women really love jewels? They’re like their lifeline stones and it seems that they cannot live without them. Some even consider jewels as a healing medium. But wherever there are new and glittering gems the jewelry world can give, women are out there hunting for it – the most recent of which are glass beads.
There is just so much about glass beads that really fascinate women. It’s not however the make up since glass is a common resource. Perhaps it is its charming diversity of colors, shapes and designs. Or probably it is its enthralling history that is symbolized in glass beads.
The use of beads as ornaments was seen in the days of the early Homo sapiens who first walked the earth. Beads were made then of bones, stones, or tree branches. Today, beads can be made out of shells, clay, seeds and even flowers. All of these constitute a tempting eye-candy that captivates women. All the more, the most captivating story of beads is that from the glass beads.
The first two places discovered to have used glass in beaded jewelries were the earliest settlers in the Caucasus and Mesopotamian Regions. Caucasus is now a part of Russia. Surprisingly however the early women from the Caucasus region were inspired to turn the mosaic glass pieces into body ornamental pieces in the 14th century. Anthropological excavations in Iraq unearthed more than 10,000 bulk glass beads.
Further studies and discoveries have led many experts to include other more likely civilizations that have produced the first handmade glass beads. Scientists are considering three major glassmakers in the history – Egyptians, Romans, and Indians.
The ancient Egyptians were found to have been great fans of glass beads. Scientists have uncovered faience – a form of quarts that is coated with glass. Buried Egyptians sites were homes of thousands of glass beads that scientists believe were used to somehow emulate the glitter and preciousness of crystals and other prized stones.
But the small turquoise-like glass stones did not last for long in the Egyptian trading. The huge market for glass beads was reduced and eventually led to close shop 780 years after the opening of the glassmaking industry of Egyptians in 2181 BC.
Yet there are still a few who knew the techniques and the trade of glass making. Scientists were able to track the movement of glass bead production from Egypt to Lebanon. Then excavations later uncovered glass beads deposits in Austria and Swiss territories. Scientists carbon dated the other related remains and hoped to dated the glass bead as old as 2200 years old. Glass beads in these areas were more sophisticated. These were finely crafted and shaped into more elegant and attractive forms.
Scientists have also linked the Roman Empire to be a huge contributor to the history of glass beads. And since the Empire had covered many regions like Paris, London, Geneva, and Syria, it is believed that the Romans were the prevalent wearers of glass bead ornamentals.
Today, glass beads are now classified into three – the drawn beads, the molded beads and the wound beads. This classification is based upon how the maker directs and shapes the glass into beads.
The molded beads is said to be the less tricky among the methods used to form glass beads. But this approach however requires a huge number of manual power. Early people of what is now Czech Republic were the first to have employed this technique of twisting molten glass into beads.
The drawn made glass beads were believed to have come from Indian origins. Contemporary versions of drawn glass beads are the seed beads. This is method of glass bead making is unique since it is the only one to integrate bubbles for aesthetics.
The wound glass bead is interestingly made. Glass in extreme heat is being twisted around wire. The molten glass is then shaped into marbles and decorated.
With the proliferation of cheaper plastic beads, glass beads are still more wanted by women. Stores are now flocked with customers who would like to have their customized glass bead jewelries. Different designs and sizes can be mixed and matched to form bracelets, necklaces and earrings.